Syracuse draws tough opponent in Players Era Men's Championship debut

Syracuse takes a significant step up in competition when they take on #2 Houston in the opening game at the Players Era Men’s Championship in Las Vegas. The Orange (4-0) had three comfortable wins to open their season before scratching out a victory in their last game against Monmouth, but facing the Cougars (5-0) is entering a different sphere entirely.

The two teams last faced off in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Tournament and, while the names and faces on the roster have turned over, little has changed in how Houston plays under Kelvin Sampson. That game ended in a 62-46 SU loss with the Cougars grabbing 11 offensive rebounds as they finished plus-9 on the glass and held Syracuse to just 28.0 percent shooting from the field.

Houston has remained at that level and style of play since then, winning at least 32 games in each of the four seasons since that meeting while being ranked as a top-ten defense in KenPom and a top-11 team in offensive rebounding in each season since then. This year's version is not much different.

Houston's defense has almost no weaknesses

While the board work is a little behind their traditional level, the Cougars are currently KenPom’s best defensive team this season. And that defense does not have many weaknesses to be exploited.

Houston is 11th in 2-point field goal percentage allowed, 19th in 3-point field goal percentage allowed, and 22nd in defensive turnover rate. While SU has been an average 3-point shooting team on the season, they have been very good at holding onto the ball and scoring inside the arc. It will be interesting to see how that translates against the Cougars.

On offense, Houston is kind of a contrast to most college basketball teams. While they take a fairly average number of 3-point shots, they are a pretty poor shooting team from outside.

The Cougar guards are threats off the dribble, as well as from outside

Inside the arc is a different story, though, as the Cougars shoot 51.5 percent on 2-point attempts other than dunks. While that is not an exceptionally high number (Syracuse is shooting 56.1 percent), it is unique in that their guards are extremely effective around the rim.

Despite being only 6’4”, top scorer Kingston Flemings is shooting 78.4 percent inside the arc and the 6’3” Emanuel Sharp has knocked down 53.8 percent of his 2’s while also leading the team with 13 triples on the season. That duo combines for 33.4 points per game with Flemings also handing out a team-high 5.2 assists per game.

Forwards Chris Cenac Jr. and Joseph Tugler form a pair of complimentary forwards. Cenac is a classic stretch forward, connecting on 46.2 percent of his 3-pointers while leading the team in rebounding and doing his best work on the defensive glass. Tugler is a defensive weapon, averaging 2.8 blocks and 2.4 steals per game, which leads Houston in both categories.

SU faces a steep task in this game

The Orange are faced with the tough task of slowing down the Cougar guards while also trying to solve their tough, aggressive defense. Houston also plays at a slower pace than most teams as they try to drag their foes down into the muck.

SU will have to play a composed game, being strong with the ball on offense and focusing on returning to the rim for defensive rebounding. While they have done well protecting possession this season, Syracuse has been a little below average on the glass at both ends. The Cougars will almost certainly punish them for their mistakes unlike their earlier opponents.

The Orange will not be able to rely on breaking out for easy points in transition and will need to focus their defensive effort on getting stops. It will not be an ideal style of play, but SU will have to work hard to try to pull a win out of this very tough game.

Houston 73, Syracuse 62.

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