Jim Boeheim is back. Of the nine games he was suspended for, the Syracuse Orange were beaten five times, and they went from a surefire NCAA Tournament team to one which is suddenly staring an 0-4 ACC record in the face on Saturday. The North Carolina Tar Heels are headed up to the Carrier Dome, and though they have superior talent and could be one of the best teams in the land, the task for them surely won't be easy in what will be an emotional night.
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SCHEDULING
For our money, what's important about this game isn't necessary the schedule. Instead, we really love the emotion that's going to surround Boeheim's return to the bench. The crowd on a Saturday night in Syracuse is going to be rocking for the future Hall of Famer's return, and that could really carry this team, especially with four days to prepare for this after losing at home against Clemson on Tuesday.
North Carolina's situation isn't bad either, though needing to take flights to opposite ends of the ACC spectrum in a span of five days after just returning to school could be tough. North Carolina was in Tallahassee on Monday and looked awesome in a 106-90 win over Florida State. However, this trip up to Syracuse on Saturday could end up being particularly challenging, something that live bettors should realize immediately after the ball is thrown in the air.
KEY MATCHUP
The Orange aren't particularly deep at this point, but they're still athletic. Michael Gbinijie, DaJuan Coleman, Malachi Richardson and Tyler Roberson are all big men who can handle the ball, score in the paint and defend near the basket, but they can all step back as well and hit some jumpers to help stretch out the North Carolina defense.
We learned on Monday just how important it is to make the Carolina bigs guard away from the basket. Brice Johnson abused Florida State's big men to the tune of 39 points and 23 boards on the night, much of which stemmed from the fact that the Noles tried to use guards against him defensively, while he guarded the completely offensively inept Boris Bojanovsky.
With Kennedy Meeks potentially returning from a knee injury this weekend, it's absolutely pivotal for Syracuse to make sure it stretches things out. Whomever is guarding against Johnson has to be able to get into his face and be ready to challenge him in the paint, while on the other end of the court, his guard has to get him away from the hoop.
If not, the Tar Heels are very likely going to rewrite the same story in this game, one in which they score seemingly every single time down the floor and use defensive rebounds to create fast break points.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
North Carolina's offense isn't full of three-point shooters this year, but the team has shot 37 percent from deep since Marcus Paige has returned to the lineup. It's not just that the point guard has shot the ball well himself, but he's making the passes to all of the right men at the right time for the easier shots.
Syracuse meanwhile, had no luck with its 2-3 zone against the Heels last year on the road. UNC rolled off 58 points in the second half en route to a 58-43 victory. Roy Williams made some great halftime adjustments to get the offense going, and not surprisingly, Meeks and Kennedy each had 17, while Paige scored 22 with eight assists and six rebounds.
Live bettors should be aware that as this game goes on, the Tar Heels might find that their athleticism is good enough to crack that 2-3 zone, and that could turn this game in the second half if Syracuse uses its emotions of having its coach back on the bench to start off hot.
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The showdown between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Syracuse Orange will start at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 9, 2016, at the Carrier Dome. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
