Point guard

Scoop Jardine vs. Kemba Walker

This is the matchup to watch. Walker has the potential to tear apart a fragile Syracuse zone with his speed. On the other end, Jardine needs to create against Walker’s tough defense.

Shooting guard

Brandon Triche vs. Jeremy Lamb

Triche’s continued solid play will be ever important as Dion Waiters’ status remains in question. Lamb has scored 24 and 21 points in his last two games, respectively.

Small forward

Kris Joseph vs. Roscoe Smith

SU hasn’t recovered since Joseph went down, but it’s not because he hasn’t been playing well. In what should be a favorable matchup, Joseph needs to continue the type of play that has led to 19.3 points in his last three games.

Power forward

Rick Jackson vs. Tyler Olander

Jackson needs to be a workhorse on the glass against the second-best rebounding team in the Big East. Second and third chances will loom large for an SU team that, aside from Marquette, hasn’t been shooting the ball well in its losing streak.

Center

Fab Melo vs. Alex Oriakhi

Marquette was the latest in a long line of disappointments in Melo’s freshman season. When he inevitably earns most of the minutes, fellow freshman Baye Moussa Keita needs to contribute like he did against Marquette, when he had four points and seven boards.

Coach

Jim Boeheim vs. Jim Calhoun

This rivalry between two legends of the college basketball coaching profession is renewed after Calhoun missed last season’s contest with health issues.

Free throws

Syracuse has not won at Connecticut since Feb. 1, 1999, when the Orangemen triumphed 59-42.

Jim Calhoun and Jim Boeheim will set a record for the most combined wins between two coaches in one matchup (1,687). The previous record came in 2006, when Texas Tech’s Bob Knight met Oklahoma State’s Eddie Sutton.

Stat to know

Syracuse is allowing its opponents to shoot 51.2 percent from the field during its four-game losing streak.

Big number: 0

The number of times Syracuse has lost five straight games in Jim Boeheim’s 35-year tenure as head coach. That could happen with a loss at UConn.

Fortune cookie

Snow way.

Beat writer predictions

Brett LoGiurato

Connecticut 73, Syracuse 68

Walker, Kemba ranger.

Andrew L. John

Connecticut 80, Syracuse 73

Calling for an upset may be tempting here, but beating the No. 6 team on the road is a lot to ask of any team.

Tony Olivero

Connecticut 72, Syracuse 69

Another night in the Big East conference.

— Compiled by Brett LoGiurato, sports editor, bplogiur@syr.edu

 

Published on February 1, 2011 at 12:00 pm