At the beginning of this year, Syracuse (16-11, 8-6) was the nineteenth ranked team in the country according to the AP Poll and seemed poised to build off an incredible Final Four run from a year ago. Now, in the middle of February, the Orange head to the Peach State to face a dangerous Georgia Tech (15-11, 6-7) team, needing a win to keep hopes of returning to March Madness alive.
Tech has been a tough team to get a read on this season. The Yellow Jackets have some very questionable losses. They fell at home to Ohio, lost by 53 at Cameron Indoor and took a 60-43 drubbing from in-state rival Georgia at home. However, they also have wins over North Carolina, Notre Dame and Florida State, with each of them being ranked in the top 15 when Tech beat them. They are definitely inconsistent, which makes Sunday's matchup with Syracuse even more interesting.
SU vs. G-Tech @ 6:30 pm. Countdown to Tipoff starts at 6 on 88.3 FM.
'Cuse is in a very similar boat as Georgia Tech, with a couple of staple wins over Florida State and Virginia. However, they also have some crushing losses in the form of a home loss to Georgetown, a 33-point shelling while hosting St. John's and an awful road loss to Boston College.
A win would get Syracuse to nine ACC wins, with many thinking they need at least 11 to have a chance of making the NCAA tournament. If the Orange is going to find a way to earn a much-needed road victory, then freshman Tyus Battle needs to wake up.
The rookie shooting guard started out the season shooting well, but in his last seven games, he is shooting just 34 percent from the floor and 21 percent from behind the three point arc. He has reportedly been sick, but with the past week to rest after a loss to Louisville on Monday, Battle needs to step up and at least play efficiently.
Syracuse has been a team that has lived and died by the three. Against the Cardinals, they died, shooting just 23.5 percent from behind the line. The fact that it took overtime for Louisville to finish off 'Cuse is a testament to the defense that Syracuse played in that game. However, the Orange might be able to afford a slow start against the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech is statistically the worst offensive team in the ACC, ranking last in points per game, shooting percentage and three-point shooting percentage. Tech is lead by freshman Josh Okokie and junior Ben Lammers, both of whom are averaging about 15 points per game. After the Yellow Jackets' top two though, there is a drop off. Junior Tadric Jackson has been a force off the bench and senior Quinton Stephens pulls his own weight, but they are the only other Georgia Tech players to score more than six points per game this season.
A loss isn't fatal for Syracuse, but it would make themselves a hole that seems almost impossible to dig out of.