Syracuse looks to bounce back with a better performance against Northeastern

The Orange were dissatisfied with their efforts in the second half the last time out and look to turn it up against the Huskies.

Nov 28, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Northeastern Huskies forward Youri Fritz (7) goes to the basket against Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Myles Colvin (6) during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Northeastern visits the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday as the opponent for the next-to-last non-conference game on Syracuse’s slate.  The Huskies (4-5) have had a choppy start to their season, including dropping their only game against a power conference team, an 86-73 loss at Wake Forest over Thanksgiving weekend, but did win their most recent outing, a 73-56 contest against Central Connecticut State.

That outing, however, was back on December 7, as Northeastern had an exceptionally long time off for finals.  With nearly two weeks between games, the Huskies will quite likely not be sharp at the jump, which should help the Orange (7-4).  In addition, SU should be able to look at Northeastern’s earlier matchup with the fellow ACC member Demon Deacons for some tips in developing a game plan.

Syracuse should mirror another ACC team and use their physical advantages

As might be expected against a power conference foe, the Huskies struggled greatly on defense against Wake, giving up a season-worst 86 points in the game.  The Demon Deacons scored nearly at will inside, shooting 25-of-35 (71.4 percent) on their 2-point field goals.  That interior dominance carried over to the glass, as Wake Forest also grabbed 42.9 percent of their misses, by far Northeastern’s worst performance on the defensive boards this season.

SU will have a size and athleticism advantage in the game and should look to get their bigs pounding the glass and operating inside.  William Kyle III and Sadiq White Jr., in particular, were extremely effective in the first half in the last game against Mercyhurst and should look to be active and involved throughout.

Northeastern has struggled to get and keep their best five on the floor this season, as ten different players have started at least one game.  One reason is health issues, as guard L.A. Pratt leads the Huskies in scoring, but was lost for the season last month with a foot injury.  Their second-highest scorer, Youri Fritz, missed their last game.

A choppy offensive start may have birthed the Huskies' best player

As a result, Northeastern has had problems on offense throughout the season.  One very bright spot has developed for them in freshman guard Xavier Abreu, who has turned into a significant threat over the last five games, scoring 16.6 points in just 22.2 minutes per game.  Abreu has been extremely effective off the drive, shooting 69.0 percent on “close 2’s” on the season and 61.1 percent on 2-pointers over those last five games.

William Kermoury and J.B. Frankel are the biggest perimeter threats to Syracuse.  Kermoury paces the Huskies with 17 triples in nine games and is shooting 37.8 percent from long range on the season while Frankel shoots 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Among the big men on the Northeastern roster, Fritz, if available, is their best option and Xander Alarie would be right behind him.  Both get most of their offensive production near the basket with Alarie also being very good at the foul line.  Neither is a significant threat as a shotblocker, although they each average over one swat a game.

In all, this shapes up to be a game similar the Mercyhurst game for the Orange.  The question is if they have learned anything from that last outing.

Syracuse 79, Northeastern 64.

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