BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Syracuse @ Connecticut
February 8, 2006
The struggles of the Syracuse Orange have been well documented of late, as they have lost four of their last five games and needed a near miracle-shot to pull out an overtime win against Rutgers to prevent a five game losing streak in their last game.
Connecticut is starting to look like the machine many predicted they would be. The Huskies have won nine straight since dropping their Big East opener at Marquette, including seven conference games and non-league contests against LSU and at Indiana. The Huskies have shown they can play tough as well as being the normal stable of athletes that will run and jump with anyone.
Here are many of the pregame stories and previews found on the internet:
Adrien's Energy Spurring Huskies (Danbury News Times Live)
Huskies Looking to Play a Full 40 (Record Journal)
UConn Hits Season Rough Spot (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Begins Difficult Stretch (Waterbury Rep Am).
Focus on Mental Toughness as Orange in Town (Register-Citizen)
Orange Will Be on Guard (Hartford Courant)
Williams WIll Pass on SU Zone (Courant)
Gay Starting to Reach Lofty Expectations (Middletown Press)
Better 1st Half Required (Syracuse Post-Standard)
UConn Scouting Report (Post-Standard)
For our preview and prediction on the game, click below!
READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW
Rivalry week continues on ESPN and tonight's highlighted game is the Big East conference match-up with Syracuse and Connecticut. Earlier this season, the two teams met on a "Big Monday" and the Prange were run out of their own building early by the Huskies, but made it look better than it was with a late run before losing 88-80.
Things have also gotten a little dicey around the Orange team as key reserve Louie McCroskey does not appear to be currently with the team after supposedly being involved with a locker room confrontation with Jim Boeheim after Syracuse's last game, an overtime win over Rutgers. At this point in the season, distractions like these could really tear apart a team. Syracuse has seen these distractions (Deshaun Williams, Billy Edelin) be very detrimental in previous seasons, but Jim Boeheim has also been able to pull his team together. I think he will, but they just might have to hit a bottom as a group first...and, it would not surprise me to see that happen tonight.
Connecticut is never an easy match-up for the Orange. They have the athletic and tall perimeter players that usually make for a long night for Gerry McNamara shooting over them. His career struggles against UConn have been well documented and, if he struggles again, and he could be hampered by a thigh injury, the Orange chances turn as cold as a Connecticut winter's night.
With their tall, athletic and more physical front court and superior depth, Connecticut should be too much for Syracuse. Also, aided by the ESPN buzz and 9 PM tip-off, the atmosphere should be tremendous as the Husky fans will be ready to selcome Syracuse to town.
The 12-pt favored Huskies will look to play inspired for 40 minutes. This could be the low point of the Syracuse season and they can look to build back up from here.
NBE Blogger Prediction:
Connecticut 85 Syracuse 67
The struggles of the Syracuse Orange have been well documented of late, as they have lost four of their last five games and needed a near miracle-shot to pull out an overtime win against Rutgers to prevent a five game losing streak in their last game.
Connecticut is starting to look like the machine many predicted they would be. The Huskies have won nine straight since dropping their Big East opener at Marquette, including seven conference games and non-league contests against LSU and at Indiana. The Huskies have shown they can play tough as well as being the normal stable of athletes that will run and jump with anyone.
Here are many of the pregame stories and previews found on the internet:
Adrien's Energy Spurring Huskies (Danbury News Times Live)
Huskies Looking to Play a Full 40 (Record Journal)
UConn Hits Season Rough Spot (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Begins Difficult Stretch (Waterbury Rep Am).
Focus on Mental Toughness as Orange in Town (Register-Citizen)
Orange Will Be on Guard (Hartford Courant)
Williams WIll Pass on SU Zone (Courant)
Gay Starting to Reach Lofty Expectations (Middletown Press)
Better 1st Half Required (Syracuse Post-Standard)
UConn Scouting Report (Post-Standard)
For our preview and prediction on the game, click below!
READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW
Rivalry week continues on ESPN and tonight's highlighted game is the Big East conference match-up with Syracuse and Connecticut. Earlier this season, the two teams met on a "Big Monday" and the Prange were run out of their own building early by the Huskies, but made it look better than it was with a late run before losing 88-80.
Things have also gotten a little dicey around the Orange team as key reserve Louie McCroskey does not appear to be currently with the team after supposedly being involved with a locker room confrontation with Jim Boeheim after Syracuse's last game, an overtime win over Rutgers. At this point in the season, distractions like these could really tear apart a team. Syracuse has seen these distractions (Deshaun Williams, Billy Edelin) be very detrimental in previous seasons, but Jim Boeheim has also been able to pull his team together. I think he will, but they just might have to hit a bottom as a group first...and, it would not surprise me to see that happen tonight.
Connecticut is never an easy match-up for the Orange. They have the athletic and tall perimeter players that usually make for a long night for Gerry McNamara shooting over them. His career struggles against UConn have been well documented and, if he struggles again, and he could be hampered by a thigh injury, the Orange chances turn as cold as a Connecticut winter's night.
With their tall, athletic and more physical front court and superior depth, Connecticut should be too much for Syracuse. Also, aided by the ESPN buzz and 9 PM tip-off, the atmosphere should be tremendous as the Husky fans will be ready to selcome Syracuse to town.
The 12-pt favored Huskies will look to play inspired for 40 minutes. This could be the low point of the Syracuse season and they can look to build back up from here.
NBE Blogger Prediction:
Connecticut 85 Syracuse 67
posted by NBE Blogger @ 8:59 AM
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