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Following a 75-71 loss to Georgetown, Syracuse will look to get back on track in another nonconference test. The Orange travel to the Barclays Center for the second time this season to face off against Maryland in the Gotham Classic. SU participated in the Legends Classic from Nov. 21-22, where it lost to Texas and Texas Tech.

Syracuse has lost all four games against Power Four teams this season and struggled last Saturday. Eddie Lampkin Jr. paced the Orange with 18 points while Jyáre Davis added 15, but it wasn’t enough to equal Jayden Epps’ game-high 27 and Thomas Sorber’s 16. SU went without a field goal for the final 4:12, which led to its defeat.

Now, Syracuse faces one of its toughest opponents of the season. Maryland has won six of its last seven, including blowing out Ohio State 83-59 on Dec. 4.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (5-5, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will fare against Maryland (9-2, 1-1 Big Ten) in the Gotham Classic at the Barclays Center:

Zak Wolf (9-1)
Terp Takeover
Syracuse 67, Maryland 80

If Syracuse hadn’t played Tennessee this season, this would definitely be its toughest nonconference game. Maryland is legit. The Terps two losses against then-No. 15 Marquette and then-No. 8 Purdue are by a combined nine points. That alone should tell you how this game is going to go. Maryland is simply a better team than Syracuse in all aspects. It’s more talented, better coached and, most importantly, healthy.

Though I think Syracuse’s frontcourt is its strong suit — with J.J. Starling still out injured — Maryland’s is even better. Derik Queen and Julian Reese will be a handful for Lampkin and Co. to handle. Queen is one of the best freshmen in the country, averaging 17.3 points per game on 61.3% shooting. While Queen may lack experience, Reese doesn’t. The senior has appeared in 109 career games and has 76 starts over the past three seasons.

Lampkin and Davis can do some damage in the paint, but Queen’s finesse combined with Reese’s length and power will overmatch them. The Orange may play close in the first half, but eventually, the Terps will wear them down. I don’t see Syracuse having enough firepower to keep up with Maryland’s high-octane offense (87.8 points per game) as the Orange will drop yet another high-profile nonconference matchup.

Aiden Stepansky (10-0)
Brooklyn beatdown
Syracuse 64, Maryland 79

It’s nice to be alone at the top. SU’s date with Georgetown ended with inefficient offense and poor 3-point shooting, causing a late collapse. As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s very difficult to win in the modern age of college basketball with virtually zero consistent perimeter threats. Without Starling and Chris Bell playing the way he is, the Orange have little chance to defeat the Terrapins.

While it’s not even 2025 yet, losing to Maryland would further diminish any chance at an NCAA Tournament appearance, forcing Syracuse to need a great run through ACC play. As Zak said, SU’s interior options pose a threat despite Queen’s strong presence. Leaning on the physicality of Lampkin and Davis, the Orange will stick around enough through the beginning of the game.

Again, however, Syracuse’s lack of shooting will allow Maryland to pull ahead and never look back. The Terrapins average 9.1 3s per game, while SU totals just 4.9. Syracuse’s numbers rank 349th in the nation, making it one of the worst shooting teams in Division I. Elijah Moore and Donnie Freeman may be able to knock down a few, but it won’t be nearly enough to keep up with Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Rodney Rice and Selton Miguel.

Justin Girshon (9-1)
Brooklyn blues
Syracuse 72, Maryland 86

The last time Syracuse left the Barclays Center, I felt it showed it was turning a corner. While getting swept in the Legends Classic obviously isn’t the outcome the Orange wanted, they played Texas and Texas Tech tightly. It was encouraging after they showed virtually nothing positive against Le Moyne, Colgate and Youngstown State.

Since then, however, SU hasn’t shown it was building off anything. The lone positives have been Freeman and Moore showcasing their talent, but that hasn’t resulted in needed wins. Starling’s injury was probably the worst thing that could’ve happened to the Orange, while Bell seemingly forgetting how to make a 3 has also done incredible damage.

Syracuse’s loss to Tennessee and wins over Cornell and UAlbany were expected, but the outcomes against Notre Dame and Georgetown say more about the program than the aforementioned games. Not making a 3 against ND was embarrassing and, in a nutshell, explains what this team is right now. Meanwhile, collapsing down the stretch versus Georgetown is something that can’t happen.

Now, as Zak alluded to above, the Orange face one of the best teams in the country. And there’s no reason to believe SU can hang with Maryland. The Terps can beat Syracuse in numerous ways, and I don’t see many outcomes where SU can win. Once again, this is a much-needed Quad 1 win for the Orange. But, again, I don’t see them starting to build an NCAA Tournament resume.

Published on December 20, 2024 at 2:04 pm