Previewing Syracuse men’s basketball vs. Drexel ahead of Philly matchup
Syracuse men’s basketball is 2-0 after beating its first two opponents by a combined 78 points. The Orange play Drexel on the road Saturday. Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor
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Syracuse’s first two games couldn’t have gone much better. Its third year under Adrian Autry is off to a roaring start thanks to two blowout wins. First, the Orange handled Binghamton despite J.J. Starling going down within the first minutes. With Starling sidelined, SU beat Delaware State by 40, holding the Hornets to 43 points.
Autry’s team quickly built an identity off elite defense and spread-out scoring. Syracuse is holding opponents to a 27.3 Effective Field Goal percentage, per KenPom, the best mark in the country. Additionally, the Orange have four players averaging double-digit points, with Donnie Freeman’s 20.0 leading the way.
Up next is a clash outside of the JMA Wireless Dome for the first time this season. As part of the second leg in the Basketball on Broad: Autumn Invitational, Syracuse takes on Drexel at Xfinity Mobile Arena — the home of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Here’s everything to know about Drexel (1-2, Colonial Athletic) before its matchup with Syracuse (2-0, Atlantic Coast) Saturday in Philadelphia:
All time series
Syracuse leads 4-1.
Last time they played
Fresh off a blowout win over Lafayette to begin the 2021-22 campaign, Syracuse continued its early success with a 75-60 win over Drexel on Nov. 14. Buddy Boeheim’s game-high 23 points ignited the Orange to a comeback win despite trailing by one at halftime. Four SU players scored in double figures.
The victory over the Dragons, however, was the end of the fun. Syracuse was stunned by Colgate a week later and then fell to VCU. SU’s penultimate season under Jim Boeheim ended in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinal.
KenPom Odds
Syracuse has a 91% chance of winning, with a projected score of 83-68.
The Dragons report
In their 10th year under head coach Zach Spiker, the Dragons are off to a 1-2 start. Drexel began the year with a win over Widener but fell to Saint Joseph’s and Colgate. Spiker led the Dragons to a conference championship and the NCAA Tournament in the 2020-21 season, and they reached 20 wins two years ago.
Drexel lost its top four players last season to the transfer portal, with all moving on to Power Five programs. Leading scorer Kobe MaGee joined FSU while Yame Butler shifted to Butler. Jason Drake is at Indiana and Cole Hargrove went to Providence.
With the exits, junior Shane Blakeney has emerged as Drexel’s leading scorer at 14.3 points per game. Eli Beard came in from Division III Mary Hardin-Baylor, and the rest of the Dragons’ key contributors are mostly returners in larger roles. Drexel ranks 248th in KenPom, over 100 spots higher than SU’s first two opponents. The Dragons are shooting 39% from 3, but allow opponents to shoot 45.2% from beyond the arc.
Their top three players per EvanMiya CBB are Garfield Turner, Blakeney and Victor Panov. The three are the only ones on the squad with a positive Bayesian Performance Rating. Turner holds a 2.57 BPR thanks to a 1.83 OBPR, but the forward has played less than 20 minutes a game so far.
How Syracuse beats Drexel
Once again, it’s all about Syracuse. With Starling’s status in doubt, Kiyan Anthony will likely get another crack at a major role. While Anthony has impressed thus far to gain national attention, it’s SU’s defensive traits that are touted in the elite tier nationally.
The Orange are yet to allow an opponent to score over 50 points. All signs point to Syracuse slaying the Dragons and gliding to 3-0. But if SU posts yet another display of defensive dominance and holds Drexel under 55 points, this might just be the true glue of the winning formula Autry craves.
Stat to know: 28.6%
Syracuse has done plenty of things right through its first two games. It’s struggled most from beyond the arc. The Orange are shooting 28.6% from 3-point range, ranking 256th in the country and 16th in the ACC.
SU’s woes from deep were evident in its exhibition versus Pace, where it made just 5-of-21 attempts. The issues persisted against Binghamton with a 4-for-21 night and a slightly better 8-for-21 mark against Delaware State. Nate Kingz transferred in from Oregon State to be an outside threat, but he’s gone just 1-for-7. Whether this is a sign of concern or simply a slow start remains to be seen.
Player to watch: Eli Beard, guard, No. 7
Beard’s path to Drexel is far from ordinary. He spent the 2021-22 season at New Mexico Junior College before another one-year stint at Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana. After developing his game for two years, Beard moved on to Mary Hardin-Baylor in Texas, where he excelled at the D-III level with 22.3 points per game last year.
Now in his fifth college season, Beard is coming off the bench for the Dragons. The 5-foot-11 guard saw an increased role Tuesday night against Colgate, pouring in 24 points off the bench on efficient 9-for-12 shooting. If Drexel is playing catch-up, Beard could be a candidate to break through for some buckets.
