Previewing Syracuse’s 1st ranked matchup of 2025 vs. No. 6 Michigan
Syracuse has started much stronger than its 2-3 start to last season, beginning this campaign 5-0. But SU's matchup with No. 6 Michigan Sunday will be its first true test. Griffin Uribe Brown | Social Media Editor
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There’s efficiency. Then there’s Michigan.
Few teams in the nation have been better than the No. 6 Wolverines. Their 51.5% field goal clip ranks eighth in Division I, per HerHoopStats. Their 93.2 points per game sits fifth. Their confining defense allows just 54.2 points a contest. They even have five players who average nine-plus points, with Olivia Olson’s 17.8 leading the way.
Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack knows it’s the Orange’s biggest test yet. On Thursday, before SU’s matchup with Utah Friday, Legette-Jack said Syracuse’s main focus was finding ways to defend fast-moving teams. She specifically pointed to Michigan, which “tries to score in three or four seconds.” SU showed adjustments against Utah to claim its first Power Five win of the season.
But Sunday’s matchup with the Wolverines is the real deal. Though Michigan suffered its first loss Friday, it was by three points to No. 1 UConn. It’ll now be hungrier than ever to return to the winning track.
Here’s everything to know about No. 6 Michigan (4-1, Big Ten) before it takes on Syracuse (5-0, Atlantic Coast) Sunday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase:
All-time series
Michigan leads 4-0.
Last time they played
Syracuse last played Michigan on Dec. 5, 2019, in an overtime thriller in Ann Arbor. While the Orange led 59-52 after three quarters, the Wolverines battled back to force five more minutes, where they outscored SU 13-5 to steal an 84-76 win. The victory improved Michigan to 7-1 while Syracuse dropped to 4-4.
Both squads had four players score in double figures, with Kayla Robbins’ game-high 23 points fueling the Wolverines. Future Syracuse center Izabel Varejão also played 10 minutes for Michigan, recording four points on 2-of-5 shooting.
The Orange knocked down 13 3-pointers, their second-most in a game that season, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Wolverines’ 25 free throws and 15 steals. Syracuse would finish the 2019-20 campaign 16-15, bowing out in the ACC Tournament Second Round.
The Wolverines report
Just about everything’s gone right for Michigan through its first five games. It pummeled its first four opponents, with its smallest win by 29 points over Harvard. It even exploded for 120 points against Binghamton on Nov. 18.
As previously mentioned, Olson leads the way with 17.8 points per game, while Syla Swords and Mila Holloway have added 15.6 and 12.8, respectively. The Wolverines have also crashed the glass with ease, ranking 21st in offensive rebounding rate (44.0%) and 86th in total rebounds per game (41.6).
Michigan knows what it’s like to win. It finished 23-11 last season, earning a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It narrowly defeated Iowa State in the Round of 64 before its season ended against Notre Dame in its next game. Aside from third-leading scorer Jordan Hobbs, the Wolverines return three of their top four scorers from last season.
But with Laila Phelia, who played for Michigan from 2021-24 and overlapped with two of the Wolverines’ current players under head coach Kim Barnes Arico, the Orange may have some insight heading into the matchup.
How Syracuse beats Michigan
Legette-Jack said it Thursday: Syracuse’s path to a win starts with keeping up with Michigan’s fast-paced offense. She said the Orange tend to “guard real tight up front and then get beat.” If they do that against the Wolverines, they’re unlikely to win. Michigan’s 119.5 points per 100 possessions ranks 12th in the nation. SU will need to match that pace.
Syracuse also needs to take advantage of offensive boards. The Orange recorded a tied-for-season-high 24 offensive rebounds against Utah, powering their 61-49 win. SU must show the same level of persistence on the glass to compete with the Wolverines’ bigs.
Michigan likes to spread its offense out, but shutting down Swords and Olson will be key. They’ve led the Wolverines in scoring in four of their first five games. How they play will likely determine the outcome.
Stat to know: 39.0
Michigan hasn’t just been winning. It’s been winning by massive margins. Through five games, the Wolverines’ average margin of victory has been 39.0, the nation’s ninth-best mark.
Michigan’s defense and offense have been in sync. Besides the loss to the Huskies, the Wolverines haven’t surrendered more than 55 points per game. Their offense hasn’t scored less than 84 either, while SU has reached that mark once.
Finding ways to disrupt either Michigan’s offense or defense could be the difference. If one doesn’t match the other, things could quickly look up for the Orange.
Player to watch: Syla Swords, guard, No. 12
Michigan has plenty of players to watch, but Swords could be the difference-maker in Sunday’s matchup. She averaged 16.0 points per game as a freshman last year and has continued her tear with 15.6 this year.
Swords is yet to score under nine points this season, even hitting a career-high eight 3s and 29 points against UConn. At just 6 feet, she also leads Michigan with six rebounds per game.
Olson’s likely the player Syracuse is focusing on defensively, but it can’t forget about Swords. She could emerge as an unstoppable force against the Orange.
