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After topping Boston College, Syracuse appears to be gaining steam at the most important time of the season. The Orange have won four straight for the first time in two years, with the win streak being powered by strong shooting from Cole Swider, Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard III.

Up next is a date with Virginia Tech, which is on a four-game win streak of its own. The Hokies are also deadly from 3, ranking second in the nation in 3-point percentage. The Orange are just two spots ahead of Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference rankings, and a loss would bring both teams to a 7-7 conference record.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when SU heads to Virginia Tech for what has the makings of a shootout:

Andrew Crane (16-8)
The streak is Tech-nically over
Virginia Tech 85, Syracuse 83

The Hokies have started to find their footing a bit after a rough start to conference play, and their offense, on paper, contains all the ingredients for the recipe needed to torch SU’s defense. They have the 3-point shooting, with a 42.1% 3-point percentage that ranks second nationally, per KenPom. They rank 18th overall in adjusted efficiency. And they’ve scored at least 74 points in each of their last four games — all wins — after reaching that number just twice in the eight before that.

This game will likely come down to which team hits more 3s than the other, though Jesse Edwards could provide a sustainable solution if Swider, Buddy and Girard can’t connect on the necessary 3s — pending if Edwards stays out of foul trouble and can fight through physical defense, the factors that upended his game against Boston College. I think Syracuse and the Hokies will remain within a six-point margin of each other for pretty much the entire game, but Virginia Tech will find a way to hit that one final shot in the final minute to keep its winning streak going and snap the Orange’s.

Roshan Fernandez (14-10)
Something’s gotta give
Virginia Tech 80, Syracuse 77

The Hokies’ are currently amid a four-game win streak, their second-longest of the season, while the Orange are on a four-game win streak, their longest of the year. Syracuse looked comfortable in its last contest against Boston College, but its offense wasn’t firing on the same cylinders as the unit that averaged over 90 points per game in the previous three contests. Plus, Virginia Tech has the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in the nation, a far cry from Boston College’s 322nd-ranked 3-point unit, and a perfect recipe to topple this SU defense.

I think Syracuse’s offense has carried this four-game winning streak, but in classic fashion, I don’t think it has the consistency to keep it up against Virginia Tech. This Hokies team seems perfectly built to burn SU from deep range, and I think they’ll do just that. Syracuse has improved defensively, but it’s only been in spurts — head coach Jim Boeheim called the defense all-around poor in the win over NC State, and only good for parts of the Wake Forest and Louisville games. One of these two teams is going to see their four-game losing come to an end, and I think it’ll be the Orange.

Gaurav Shetty (14-10)
A box of Chokies?
Syracuse 94, Virginia Tech 87

If there’s one thing I’m certain about, it’s that defense will likely be optional in this game. As we’ve seen throughout the season, Syracuse’s defense is subpar at best, but it does have some spells of solid play. Still, it has lacked overall consistency. On the other side, VT’s defense isn’t anything special, but both offenses are elite, especially from 3. Essentially, I’m picking Syracuse’s offense over Virginia Tech’s offense.

Both teams are on four-game win streaks, but the Hokies previous three losses provide a glimpse into how the Orange could win. Virginia Tech conceded 11 3-pointers to Miami, 10 to UNC and only four to BC, but it gave up 36 points in the paint. Syracuse is capable of winning in either scenario. During this current win streak, the Orange have hit at least 10 3-pointers in each win, and apart from a poor game against BC, Edwards has performed well.

The Orange are capable of picking up a really important win. But it will come down to execution, and based on the way Swider and company are playing, I’m going to back Syracuse to put just enough points on the board to pull away with the win.

Published on February 9, 2022 at 8:17 pm