No. 10 seed Syracuse (19-13, 9-9 Atlantic Coast) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will face No. 7 seed Dayton (25-7, 14-4 Atlantic 10) on Friday at 12:15 p.m. After sitting on the bubble leading up to the reveal of the bracket, the Orange avoided being placed in a play-in game. SU will start play in the Round of 64 against the team that knocked it out in 2014, the last time Syracuse played in the Tournament.

With the season reaching its pinnacle, beat writers Sam Blum, Jesse Dougherty and Matt Schneidman discuss three questions surrounding the Orange.

1. Is the fact that SU played Dayton as its last opponent in the NCAA Tournament overblown?

Sam Blum: Absolutely not. Four out of Dayton’s top five scorers this season were also on the team that beat Syracuse two years ago. If there had been more of a gap, then it might be overblown, but it’s a similar team. Trevor Cooney and Michael Gbinije were also contributors to that team and may agree with me. Getting revenge against Dayton is something that I’m sure is front of mind heading into Friday.

Jesse Dougherty: My first inclination is to say yes, but I could imagine that guys like Cooney and Gbinije, who each played 20-plus minutes in that game, may disagree. It doesn’t seem like a game from 2014 calls for a big “revenge” storyline, but if it’s going to inspire the Syracuse players to any extent then there is some merit to that. One would think that simply playing as an underdog in the tournament is inspiring enough, but it’s no secret that revenge can be a great motivator.

Matt Schneidman: When Cooney leaned into the microphone on Sunday, smirked and simply said “yes” when asked if Dayton being Syracuse’s first opponent adds anything to the matchup, it was a clear indication that Syracuse wants revenge. The common opponent from the Orange’s last NCAA Tournament game isn’t overblown at all and you can be sure that when SU saw the Flyers next to its name in the draw, that sour taste from a 55-53 upset tingled back to the taste buds of those who suffered a premature end to a season that started 25-0 in 2014.

 

Daily Orange File Photo

 

2. What does Syracuse have to do to beat Dayton?

S.B.: This is a matchup of two teams trending in the wrong direction. Syracuse has lost five of six in the ACC. Dayton, almost untouchable for the first part of the season, lost four of its past eight games. The Flyers are a tremendous defensive team, but it does allow its opponents to score from beyond the arc. Though both teams are struggling, the Orange needs to break out of it with the 3-point ball to beat the Flyers.

J.D.: Make the Flyers pay for whatever lineup it chooses. It seems that Archie Miller will either go very small and use two 6-foot-6 players as a pseudo frontcourt, or put four smaller players around 6-foot-11 freshman center Steven McElvene. With the first lineup, Dayton can turn up the pressure in its already-aggressive man-to-man defense. With the second, McElvene is a proven rim protector that’s made the Flyers one of the best in the country at defending 2-point shots. If Miller goes small, SU can’t be afraid to work it inside. If McElvene is on the floor, the Orange has to try and get him away from the basket. If SU doesn’t find a way to make the Flyers uncomfortable in all situations, consistent lineups could likely lead to comfortability on offense and a long day for the Syracuse zone.

M.S.: According to Kenpom.com, Dayton ranks 21st in the country in defending 2-point shots. If Syracuse can’t get scoring from the interior, it’ll sure have to hope that two of its three perimeter players (at least) get hot in spurts or else the Orange will fall victim to another NCAA Tournament exit at the hands of Miller’s team. McElvene will be an imposing figure in the paint for SU’s bigs to attack and dynamic guards Scoochie Smith and Charles Cooke will certainly keep up with Syracuse’s guards. But if Trevor Cooney, the ever-polarizing Trevor Cooney, can hit a couple from deep and Malachi Richardson can knock down a couple long balls against his high school teammate (Cooke), then Syracuse sets itself up well to advance.

---

MORE COVERAGE:

• Breaking down the Syracuse-Dayton matchup
• What did Jim Boeheim say at his Selection Sunday press conference?
• VIDEO: Watch Syracuse erupt after receiving NCAA Tournament bid

---

3. Given that Trevor Cooney’s miss against Pitt and SU’s failures against Dayton in 2014 weight heavily on Cooney’s legacy, is this game a shot at redemption for his legacy?

S.B.: That’s an easy yes. A really easy yes. Trevor Cooney will define his legacy in this Tournament. Obviously he’ll always be one of the best scorers and 3-point shooters in Syracuse history, but postseason success while he’s in a position of leadership will go a long way when determining how he’s remembered. And he did himself no favors — fairly or otherwise — by missing at the buzzer against Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

J.D.: I don’t necessarily think that Dayton game really defines Cooney in any way. He played horribly, but that team was led by Tyler Ennis and C.J. Fair first and foremost, and it was Ennis who opted to take a deep mid-range shot at the end. With that said, this is Cooney’s “last shot at redemption” given the way this season ended this year. Shameless plug: Read this story I wrote for more on this.

M.S.: Even after Cooney missed the potential game-winning 3-pointer against Pittsburgh in the ACC tournament, he still thought Syracuse had a good shot to get into the Tournament. He didn’t think his legacy would be capped off in the NIT and thankfully for him, it won’t. His miss against Pitt looms heavier in the public eye than anything he did against Dayton in 2014, but if he can get hot early, in the middle of the game, or in a close game late, it’ll be the first step at closing out his career on a high note even with the little time he has left.

Published on March 15, 2016 at 8:36 am