The Boston College Eagles play host to the Syracuse Orange on Saturday afternoon in an interesting ACC showdown from Conte Forum. The former Big East foes square off in this one, separated by only one game in the standings. The Orange have lost three games in a row, while the Eagles have been playing better and better of late, having won the last time out. Syracuse dominated at home in a 14-point win on New Year's Eve but with the game now shifting to Boston for the rematch, it's likely this one could go either way.
Syracuse has fallen on tough times over the last few seasons and there's little doubt that they hit the road in this one feeling the pressure. The Orange have lost three in a row coming into Saturday's road game and with two out of those three coming at home, it makes the struggles even that much more surprising. Away from home this season, Syracuse is 4-5 on the season and 3-4 in true road games, though they have won four games in a row as the visitor against Boston College. The first game of the season between the two should give Syracuse some confidence coming into the rematch, though with the lack of consistency for them over the last handful of years, fans really don't know what to expect in this one.
The Orange have two absences to worry about as they hit the road for the weekend. Peter Carey (knee) has already been ruled out for the season after going down in early January, though played a minimal r ole when he was available. The more pressing concern is the status of Benny Williams (undisclosed), who sat out their last game. As a key presence in the frontcourt, fans will be hoping his probable designation leads to him drawing his normal minutes.
In 7 career games vs. BC, @JG3_____ is averaging 15.7 ppg and shooting 54% from 3 (22-41). pic.twitter.com/i516qd8r2k
— Syracuse Men's Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) February 2, 2023
Syracuse won't deviate from the 2-3 zone, which is bound to give Boston College trouble in this one, especially as the Eagles struggle on the offensive end. The good news is that Syracuse has continued to build momentum on the offensive side of things as well. They rank 53tf in field-goal percentage and 60th in three-point percentage, which when stacked up against Boston College's struggling defense as well, should mean success. Joe Girard III (16.6 ppg) continues to light it up from the outside, though the presence of Jesse Edwards (13.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg) might be the difference. His ability to hit the offensive glass and then use his length on the defensive side, seems like more than enough to dictate how this one goes.
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