Syracuse lost its third in a row on Saturday afternoon after getting downed by Louisville 58-53. Here are a few thoughts from the game:
Wanted: Help inside. Inquire within.
It seems like every time Syracuse is playing offense, they’re playing 4-5. On Saturday, the Orange centers took a combined 3 shots. Three. As in, one shot for each Syracuse center. Earlier in the season, SU coach Jim Boeheim said that the centers had to be at least a threat to score in the game—they need to combined for about 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Well, Rakeem Christmas, Baye Moussa Keita and DaJuan Coleman had two points and six rebounds among them. Meanwhile, Gorgui Dieng was doing work inside, collecting a game-high 14 rebounds to go with 11 points.
The lack of inside help makes the Orange vulnerable on days when they’re not shooting the ball well. And certainly, 35 percent shooting falls into that category.
» Related: Tim Welsh says Syracuse is still dangerous
What happened to Brandon Triche?
Take a look at Triche’s last four games:
- Providence: 14 points, 5-11 shooting.
- Georgetown: 10 points, 4-13 shooting.
- Marquette: 8 points, 4-10 shooting.
- Louisville: 8 points, 2-11 shooting.
Triche had been maddeningly inconsistent this season, and if Syracuse wants to make any noise in the postseason, their senior leader is going to have to get going. I’m not just talking about his shooting; I’m talking about his decision making. He had 7 turnovers on the afternoon, including a couple down the stretch that put the game out of reach.
» Related: Syracuse loses by five to Louisville
Better than Fair.
I liked what I saw from CJ Fair today with his 19 points. He took the most shots (20) he’s taken in a single game all season, and I think we can all agree that he should’ve taken five more. He’s been Syracuse’s most consistent player and he’s making a nice transition from (as he puts it in his Twitter page) ‘Fitting in to Standing Out.’
The last time Fair wasn’t in double digits was when he had 8 points on Dec. 17 against Detroit.
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