Score Predictions for West Virginia vs Syracuse

The West Virginia Mountaineer face a familiar foe in the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Syracuse Orange. The two programs meet for the first time since the two schools departed the Big East Basketball conference following the 2011-12 season. Syracuse leads the all-time series 34-16.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 73, Syracuse 70

If I'm being completely honest, my gut is telling me to go with Syracuse. However, I chose West Virginia to move on to the Sweet Sixteen in this matchup in my bracket, so I'll stick with it.

West Virginia's biggest priority on defense is keeping the ball out of Buddy Boeheim's hands. He's been shooting it extremely well and is shooting nearly 40% from three-point land this season. If the Mountaineers deny him the ball/tightly guard him, they'll be okay on that end of the floor.

As for the offensive end, well, it's something this team really hasn't seen before this season with a constant, 40-minute 2-3 zone. The one good thing about going up against a 2-3 defense is it allows more jumpers than points in the paint. West Virginia is a jump-shooting team, so if they can find the soft spot in the zone, they should be able to get into a rhythm and solve that defense out enough to get the win.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 71 Syracuse 69

The first thought when Syracuse basketball is head coach Jim Boeheim and his 2-3 zone he throws at his opponents. The easy solution is to make shots from the outside, which the Mountaineers have plenty of shooters, but it's not as is as it sounds.

The Orange have plenty of length on the roster and force tough shots from all over the floor. However, when given the opportunity, West Virginia has shown they can beat zone defenses, particularly the 2-3 zone. Guards Deuce McBride, who is coming of a 30-point performance against Morehead State in the first round, Sean McNeil, and Taz Sherman have all proven they know how to attack the heart of the defense. Then there's forward Derek Culver, and now that he has a game under his belt, I suspect he'll facilitate the offense from the post.

Nonetheless, it all sounds easy, but as West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said, Boeheim is the foremost expert when it comes to the 2-3 zone, and the Hall of Famer makes great in-game adjustments.

Then, there's Jim's son Buddy Boeheim. He leads the team in scoring at 17.7 ppg, ranking third in the ACC, and he too is coming off a 30-point first round performance in the win over San Diego State.

This game will be an instant classic and will come down to the wire. These two programs may not have the sense of rivalry like they once had in football, but make no mistake about it, this will be a heavyweight fight that will have a nostalgiac Big East Conference feel to it. West Virginia survives 71-69.

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