Pat Kelsey and his multi-million dollar transfer squad come to town
The Syracuse Orange (8-8, 2-3) are back home and looking to earn their third-straight victory. Standing in the way are the red-hot Louisville Cardinals (12-5, 5-1) to the JMA Dome. The game tips at 7:00 on the ACC Network and here’s what we’re predicting:
Kevin: Louisville 83, Syracuse 71
I’m not sure how the Orange will keep up with the Cardinals unless JJ Starling gets a bit more help than we saw at BC. Louisville is going to push the pace and unlike the last two teams, they won’t be afraid to shoot from deep. Can Syracuse get more than two players making 3s? If not, it could be a long Tuesday night in the JMA Dome.
Dom: Louisville 79, Syracuse 73
I’ve picked the Orange to win twice in a row, but the buck stops this time with Louisville. The Cardinals have certainly had their too close for comfort calls this year, but the Orange are catching them at just the wrong time and this matchup is Syracuse’s kryptonite — an opponent who gets most of their offense on the perimeter and plenty of looks to do so. Unless Syracuse somehow wins the turnover battle handily, the Cardinals should have little problem winning this one.
Mike: Louisville 85, Syracuse 70
This is very much not last year’s Louisville team – instead, it’s a group of shooters who could very well power the program back into late March. Having students back in the building will hopefully energize the Orange early but the odds of them keeping pace with one of the ACC’s best offenses all night are poor.
Sam: Louisville 81, Syracuse 73
Last year, after covering his team’s win over Hofstra, me and two other media members shared a conversation with Pat Kelsey. He’s just a delightful character to chat with, whether it’s about basketball, or his beloved Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. Anyway, his team is really good.
Szuba: Louisville 78, Syracuse 68
Louisville is on a six-game heater right now and despite Syracuse’s recent uptick in play, the Cardinals are still a more efficient team — top 50 in KenPom offensive and defensive efficiency — on both ends of the floor. Pat Kelsey’s roster is chock-full of experienced players that have played in the NCAA Tournament. Louisville is 3-1 on the road, not to mention Reyne Smith is coming off a game at Pitt where he hit seven threes. Starling should continue his strong play in a fun matchup with Chucky Hepburn but I’ll say Louisville by ten in the Frank Anselem return game.
Max: Louisville 80, Syracuse 71
I’d love to remain optimistic, but this Cardinals team has too much depth that will eventually burn out the Orange. Louisville rebounds better, shoots better and takes care of the ball better, so it’s hard to imagine that Syracuse’s winning streak extends to three. Point guard Chucky Hepburn ties a season-high with 10 dimes, and the visitors cruise to their seventh straight win.
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Now it’s your turn: