Five Takeaways: Syracuse 74 Richmond 71
Syracuse basketball won 74-71 in overtime against Richmond Monday night in the semifinals of the Empire Classic. Here are five takeaways from the victory.
1. Defense
There were large stretches of this game when the defense was not good. The failure to get out on shooters and no resistance at the rim. However, the final six minutes of regulation and for most of the overtime, the defense really stepped up. Richmond scored one point in the final 5:56 of regulation and was scoreless for the final 3:07 of overtime until a buzzer beating shot when the game was already over. During those stretches, Syracuse rotated well, got up on shooters, Jesse Edwards was a rim protector inside and the Orange's length created turnovers. That defensive effort won the game for Syracuse. A very encouraging sign moving forward, but the next step is doing that for the whole game and not just small stretches.
2. Rebounding
Syracuse was dominated on the boards in this one 44-27. That is far too large of a gap for most games. Syracuse will not win with that big of a rebounding discrepancy. Twenty of those rebounds by Richmond were offensive. As competition increases, Syracuse has to be more competitive on the glass, especially limiting second chance opportunities. That is a big concern moving forward.
3. Chris Bell
This was the best game in the young career of freshman forward Chris Bell. He had stretches of good defense and shot the ball very well. Bell was 3-5 from beyond the arc and scored 11 points. None more critical than a mid-range jumper with two minutes to go in overtime that gave Syracuse the lead for good. Bell can really shoot, and proved that Monday night. The next step for him to get consistent minutes is to be more consistent defensively and provide more help on the boards. He only had one rebound in over 30 minutes of action, which needs to better.
4. Backcourt
Syracuse's backcourt is going to be the primary weapon offensively. Judah Mintz and Joe Girard combined for 47 points, including a career high 31 for Girard. Girard was outstanding in the first half and seemingly could not miss. In the second, he was erratic with shot selection. Mintz was fantastic most of the game getting into the lane and making plays. He did play hero ball at times, which will improve as he gains more experience. The other key is to be consistent defensively. Too often Mintz or Girard stared at shooters and gave them open looks. Mintz had strong moments stealing the ball and creating deflections, but needs to be more consistent at the top of the zone. Still, this is Syracuse's bread and butter and will pace the Orange offensively most nights.
5. Need More From the Bench
In 41 minutes of bench play for Syracuse, the Orange received two points and four rebounds of production. That is far too little. Early in the game, Syracuse jumped out to a 14-2 lead behind its starters. Then the reserves came in and let Richmond back into the game. Someone has to step up to provide an offensive spark so that the starters do not have to carry all of the load. That is another area the Orange must improve moving forward.
SUPPORT ALL SYRACUSE
SUBSCRIBE TO ALLSYRACUSE.COM NOW TO GET ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE INSIDER CONTENT
JOIN THE ALL SYRACUSE FORUMS FOR FREE AND DISCUSS THE ORANGE WITH OTHER FANS AND OUR STAFF
