Syracuse last played a week ago against Georgia Tech and broke through offensively, winning 97-63 over the Yellow Jackets. On Saturday, the Orange (5-4, 1-1 Atlantic Coast) travel to take on former Big East rival Georgetown. The Hoyas recently lost two more scholarship players to the transfer market, bringing their total of scholarship players down to nine. 

Here’s what to know about the Hoyas (6-3) ahead of the 1 p.m. tip-off. 

All-time series: Syracuse leads 51-43

Last time they played: On Dec. 8, 2018,  Tyus Battle hit a game winner to push the Orange over Georgetown 72-71 in the Carrier Dome. Syracuse trailed but as much as 15 in the game and shot seven percent from 3 in the first half, but Battle’s 26 points steadied the Orange. 

The Georgetown report: Georgetown has been losing players more often than they’ve played games over the past two weeks. Josh LeBlanc and James Akinjo announced their intent to transfer from the Hoyas, leaving  Georgetown with less experience in the three and four positions. 

But the Hoyas have kept some scoring. Omer Yurtseven and Mac McClung both average more than 15 points and Yurtseven averages more than nine rebounds a game. 

How Syracuse beats Georgetown: Syracuse needs to shoot better than it did against Georgia Tech and run the floor. Yurtseven is the Hoyas’ most influential player and running in transition can help negate his dominance down low. Bourama Sidibe staying as active as he was against the Yellow Jackets will also be important for the Orange. 

Despite last game’s success, Syracuse hasn’t shot well over their recent stretch of games. The Orange need to score early and often to keep things rolling from their win over Georgia Tech, rather than reverting back to issues that plagued them in weeks prior. 

Stat to know: 36.6 — The percent of offensive rebounds Georgetown grabs, which is 17th in the country. 

KenPom odds: Syracuse has a 37%  chance to win the game Saturday, with a projected final score of 75-71 in favor of Georgetown. 

Player to watch: Omer Yurtseven, Center No. 44

The seven-footer from Turkey is destined for a big day against Syracuse, which hasn’t covered opposing big men well this year. He’s scored more than 20 points twice this year including a season-high 21 against Duke. Yurtseven averages 16.3 points per game and 9.4 rebounds. If Syracuse loses on Saturday, it’ll likely be behind an impressive performance from Yurtseven.

Published on December 13, 2019 at 8:17 pm

Contact Josh: jlschafe@syr.edu | @Schafer_44