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Syracuse started its 2024-25 campaign in less-than-impressive fashion, scraping by Le Moyne 86-82. Chris Bell and Jyare Davis combined for 42 points, as SU held on to avoid what would have been a disastrous result.

Next up for the Orange is Colgate, a team they’ve had their fair share of struggles against recently. The Raiders defeated Syracuse in 2021 and 2022 before nearly defeating it a third straight time in 2023. Yet, SU overcame a 24-point second-half deficit to notch its largest comeback win since 1998.

Colgate has won four straight Patriot League Championships, but it lost a significant chunk of its roster this offseason, graduating its top three scorers. Despite their roster turnover, the Raiders still present a challenge as the Patriot League’s preseason favorites.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (1-0, Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare against Colgate (1-1, Patriot League) Tuesday at the JMA Wireless Dome:

Zak Wolf (1-0)
Another escape
Syracuse 82, Colgate 73

Syracuse’s performance against Le Moyne was so bad that I was really tempted to pick Colgate in this spot. Though a 17-point loss against Drexel Saturday diminished my confidence in the Raiders. If this was a more-talented Colgate team, I would choose it to win. But, the Orange have enough to get the job done.

Colgate loves to shoot the ball from the outside. In its last three games against SU, it knocked down 46 3-pointers at a 43% clip. This season, the Raiders are less potent from beyond the arc, going just 15-of-58 through two games. Typically, Colgate’s shooting gives it enough offensive firepower to give Syracuse trouble. The Raiders’ dip in production from beyond the arc puts SU in a good spot to win its second straight, albeit in close fashion.

I expect a stronger game from SU point guard Jaquan Carlos, who only scored four points against Le Moyne. Carlos did dish out six assists, but his scoring will be the X-factor for Syracuse going forward. Carlos’ speed and J.J. Starling’s scoring prowess will be too much for Colgate to handle. The duo will make enough plays down the stretch to get over the line and into the win column again.

Aiden Stepansky (1-0)
Survive and advance
Syracuse 78, Colgate 70

Syracuse’s season opener against Le Moyne was unimpressive, to say the least. SU’s 18% shooting mark from 3 allowed the Dolphins to stick around to make things interesting until the very end and give it a scare up until the final buzzer. But, the Orange survived and advanced to 1-0 despite the poor all-around performance. Facing another in-state foe, I see Syracuse battling for a close victory again.

Colgate is a team that has given SU its fair share of scares in the past, but through two games, the Raiders haven’t been too impressive. A loss to Drexel Saturday saw only two players score double-digits. Colgate — like many New York teams traveling to Syracuse — will treat this matchup as a big one, and perform above its pedigree to make it close. Still, Syracuse will prevail.

I see SU still struggling defensively, as it allowed 82 points to Le Moyne in the opener. The defensive troubles will continue against the Raiders but its shooting will be much improved. Bell will get going earlier on and Donnie Freeman, who went 3-for-12 in his debut, will post improved efficiency. Colgate will keep it close, but the Orange will pull away and advance to 2-0 on the young season.

Justin Girshon (1-0)
Brick by brick
Syracuse 92, Colgate 79

Throughout Syracuse’s season opener, I kept waiting for the Orange to embark on an inevitable scoring run which would allow them to start cruising against Le Moyne. Ultimately, that never happened. In my eyes, it couldn’t have been a much worse start to year two under Adrian Autry.

But the good news is, that game is behind SU. As Eddie Lampkin Jr. said postgame, it’s a game he’s happy the Orange had to go through at this point of the season rather than down the stretch. On Tuesday, I think Syracuse’s new-look roster will show it’s learned how to play with each other against a new inferior opponent.

Luckily for SU, the Raiders aren’t the same team they’ve been over the last few years. While Colgate will still get its shots up from 3, there’s no current indication it will efficiently knock those shots down. So long as the Raiders don’t hit their 3-pointers, I don’t see a way where the Orange don’t win by double digits.

If Colgate comes to play from behind the arc, SU could be in trouble. Syracuse is the far more talented team, though, and I’d be shocked to see it put on a repeat of last week’s near travesty.

Published on November 11, 2024 at 10:29 pm