Syracuse (8-6, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) will try to jumpstart its conference campaign with a matchup against Virginia Tech (10-4, 1-2) Tuesday at 9 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The Orange won their last three games of the decade before losing Saturday to Notre Dame. 

Here’s the scouting report for the Hokies ahead of Tuesday’s matchup.

Gambling Odds: Syracuse is favored by 4.5 points per Oddsshark.com.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 9-4

Last time they played: Virginia Tech beat the Orange by more than 20 points, 78-56, on Jan. 26, 2019 in Blacksburg, Va. The Hokies limited Tyus Battle to 10 points on 3-10 shooting and got a 35-point performance from eventual NBA Draft pick Justin Robinson.

The Virginia Tech report: Another 3-point oriented offense for the Orange to figure out. Per KenPom, the Hokies take the 23rd highest percentage of 3-pointers in the country (46.5% of its field goal attempts) and shoot it at a slightly higher clip (37.9%) than SU (36.3%). VT is a good perimeter-shooting team, and they won’t turn the ball over much either. Much of the Virginia Tech offense runs through Landers Nolley II, a redshirt freshman who averages 17.4 points per game.

How Syracuse beats the Hokies: The Orange have the No. 1 assist rate in the country at 70% per KenPom. But the Hokies don’t fare much worse at 29th in the country. If SU can take the Hokies out of their offense and force them into more isolation plays, the zone will win out. Georgia Tech tried to beat the zone with one-on-one play and lost by more than 30 points to the Orange. While the Hokies do have some players who pass very well, Syracuse could force them to play out of their element, and it could lead to one of the more secure teams in the country playing a sloppy game.

Stat to know: 14.6 — The Hokies turnover percentage, the fourth-lowest total in the country. 

KenPom odds: Syracuse has a 64% chance to win the game, with a final score of 70-66 per KenPom.

Player to watch: Wabissa Bede, No. 3, Guard

The Hokies point guard seems to take control of the ball movement the team makes. The highest-rated passer on the team and one of the best assist-men in the ACC averages 6.1 assists per game. When he has the ball in his hands, he has the ability to make plays all over the court. Though his scoring volume is low, his strong rebounding skills for a six-foot guard make him a near triple-double threat as well.

Published on January 7, 2020 at 11:40 am

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary