Five Takeaways: Virginia 67 Syracuse 62
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Syracuse fell 67-62 to #7 Virginia in the Dome Monday night. Here are five takeaways from the loss.
1. Late Game Situations
Once again, a game that was very winnable came down to the final couple of minutes and Syracuse did not make plays during that time. Down two with 1:19 to go, Syracuse got a rebound off a Virginia miss with a chance to tie the game. The half court set looked out of rhythm and Jesse Edwards was called for a charge that fouled him out of the game. The next defensive possession, Syracuse gave up a good look in the paint to Jayden Gardner which was followed up by a Judah Mintz missed three that took way too much time off the clock. That was the ball game. Syracuse has lost four of five, three of which were very winnable and/or it should have won (Miami, North Carolina, Virginia). That can happen with a young team but it does not make it less frustrating.
2. Maliq Brown
Maliq Brown played all 40 minutes and had a really good game. He scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds with two assists, two steals and one block. He was physical inside all night and battled on the boards. Brown is already a good player and is going to be a really good one before his career is over. During his two starts, he is averaging 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block per game while shooting 82% from the floor.
3. Joe Girard
Simply put, Syracuse is not going to win a lot of games in which Girard goes 3-12 from the field. He had a poor game shooting the basketball, which can happen against a good defensive team like Virginia. Still, the Orange needs more from its senior leader in games like this in order to get that elusive signature win. He only had one turnover, did have three assists and three steals, but again, too many missed shots.
4. Benny Williams
Williams was not at the game due to "personal reasons" as noted by head coach Jim Boeheim after the game. He will be back at practice Wednesday. I think judgement here is unfair as no one knows his situation. It could be something in his personal life related to family or friends. It could be mental health related. The point is, we don't know. The speculation before we found out that resulted in some chastising him as a quitter was unfounded and inappropriate. We now know the reason, let's leave it at that. Posting things on social media, especially when you tag the kid, insulting a 20 year old when you do not know his situation is not a good look. Let's be grown ups here. Hopefully Benny comes back, is OK, and can contribute for the rest of the season.
5. What Now?
Syracuse is 13-10 and any slim hopes of the NCAA Tournament became even more slim/less likely. Is it still possible? Yes, but Syracuse probably has to win out in the regular season to get back into that conversation. A very difficult task. The frustrating part is you can see the improvement in this team from the beginning of the season. This team is oh so close from being in the thick of the NCAA Tournament conversation and perhaps even being in the top 25. If Syracuse completes the comeback against Pittsburgh, holds on against Miami and North Carolina, and pulls off the Virginia win, the Orange is 17-6 (10-2) and in great shape. But, you are what your record says you are and Syracuse has not been good enough to be in that position, bottom line.
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