A former Big East battle is renewed in upstate New York in what could be the game of the day. Villanova brings a slew of talented and sizable guards into this one in almost an exact contrast to what Syracuse will line up with.
The Orangemen are number two nationally and off to a sensational start despite the loss of two stud guards from a 2012-2013 team that went to the Final Four. Trevor Cooney and Tyler Ennis have provided the necessary back court spark to enable an 11-0 start, but this could be their toughest task to date.
Syracuse has played a few talented teams in Minnesota, Cal, Baylor, Indiana and St. Johns. None of those teams have the talent, depth and size that Villanova brings to the table at the guard position, however.
The Wildcats come in with the number two defensive efficiency rating in America and are undefeated as well. While Syracuse only plays two true guards in the aforementioned Cooney and Ennis, ‘Nova sports a six man rotation which features 6’6 James Bell and 6’6 Darrun Hilliard. Both are elite level athletes capable of shooting over the Syracuse zone with ease. They can also rebound the ball reasonably well out of a zone, which should be necessary here.
Villanova has been working 6’6 power forward Kris Jenkins into their rotation more and more recently. But, as of now, they only have one bona fide center and two legitimate interior pieces in total. Daniel Ochefu is a special talent who could well become an extremely accomplished center during his career. But, right now, he is only one man who will be trying to deal with a plethora of Syracuse bodies capable of banging on the glass for 40 minutes.
Ochefu is flanked by junior Jayvaughn Pinkston. He is 6’7 and 240. He can both rebound and work out of the middle of the 2-3 to not only get shots for himself but to also force a collapsed defense leading to the perimeter look. The two are well suited to contribute in this game, but you have to wonder if the pair will be enough.
The overriding issue in this game from a gambling standpoint is Villanova’s issues heading into the Carrier Dome. They grabbed wins in both 2009 and 2011 but featured much larger teams in their front court. They also were more experienced groups during both of those seasons as opposed to now, as Bell, Pinkston and Hilliard are the only upperclassmen on a team which features extensive youth.
This will be a true test for both the Wildcats and the Orange. Villanova needs to utilize its talented guards to keep the ‘Cuse ball handlers from having big floor games. Ennis is young, but he is very steady. He is also their main point man, and diminishing his productivity will spell problems for this offense even if they are successful on the offensive glass.
I have the Orange as 4.5 point favorites for this game and believe that oddsmakers got it right with their number at four. Taking a home team like Syracuse in this spot is usually the call I’d make, but I think Villanova will wander up there more than ready to play. This is a very good basketball team as evidenced by them handling Kansas in Atlantis.
Syracuse should get the win, but their ability to cover the given number will hinge on their guards ability to handle business late in the game. I wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see foul situations dictate a lot down the stretch, but this should be a wonderful matchup to kick off your Saturday with.
