Syracuse travels south to play Georgia Tech on Saturday at 12 p.m. (TV: ACCNX). Here’s what to watch for in the game.
Can Syracuse avoid a bad NET loss?
While Syracuse can’t gain any ground in its quest for an NCAA Tournament bid on Saturday, it can certainly lose it. Georgia Tech is currently 162nd in the NET rankings, which would make this a Quadrant 3 game for the Orange. (Away games for teams ranked 135-240 are assigned Q3.) Syracuse already has two Quadrant 3 losses this season to Bryant and Colgate, and can’t afford another Q3 loss, especially since, to date, SU doesn’t have a Quadrant 1 win. That means the Orange is in a difficult position of playing a game with little to win, and a lot to lose.
How will Judah Mintz recover?
Judah Mintz slogged through his worst game in a Syracuse uniform, committing more turnovers (5) than points (3) in a loss to Miami. It marked his first game in the last 11 where he wasn’t in double figures, and set his career-low in points. But Saturday is a new day, and Mintz will have an opportunity to play against a team that allows 69.9 points per game, 202nd in the country, and forces just 11.5 turnovers per game. Keep an eye on if he’s able to rebound after a subpar outing.
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Will Syracuse feature Jesse Edwards?
When Syracuse features Jesse Edwards, good things happen. Edwards took a season-high 16 shots against Miami, and he delivered for the Orange, with a career-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds. The Orange should continue to feature Edwards against the Yellow Jackets. While Georgia Tech does start 6-foot-11 center Rodney Howard, he also only plays about half the game (19.6 mpg), and averages just 5.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg. No one else in the rotation is taller than 6’7″, which should give Edwards an opportunity for another standout game.
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