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Syracuse returns to the Carrier Dome after going 1-2 in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament and falling to .500 on the season. The Orange were upset by VCU in their first game, sending them to the loser’s side of the two-way bracket. SU posted 92 points in a convincing win over Arizona State the following day but then lost by double-digits to Auburn to finish in sixth place out of eight teams.

The Orange had a poor shooting performance against VCU, but they built on it against ASU and No. 19 Auburn. Defensive issues still loom large for SU, however, as it ranks 156th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.

Here’s what you need to know about Indiana (6-0), who received votes in the AP Poll, before it travels to the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse (3-3) on Tuesday night:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 5-1

Last time they played

The Orange and Hoosiers met most recently in December 2013 when Syracuse notched a 17-point victory at home. The contest was a rematch of the previous season’s NCAA Tournament matchup where No. 4 seed Syracuse upset No. 1 seed Indiana in the Sweet 16.

During the March 2013 Tournament game, Michael Carter-Williams led SU with 24 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field, and he added four steals. The Orange had a double-digit lead at halftime and held a comfortable cushion over Indiana throughout the second frame to advance to the Elite Eight. SU lost in the Final Four to Michigan that year.

The following season, when Syracuse and Indiana met for a nonconference game, the Orange were without Carter-Williams but still managed a double-digit win. Behind 21 points from Trevor Cooney and 17 from Tyler Ennis, SU led by as many as 21 points and earned a comfortable early-season win.

KenPom odds

Indiana has a 54% chance of winning with a predicted score of 74-73.

The Hoosiers’ report

Trayce Jackson-Davis tied a college basketball record with 10 dunks as part of Indiana’s win over Marshall on Saturday. The Hoosiers’ bigman is dangerous in the paint, and IU point guard Xavier Johnson said after the game that it was disrespectful to leave single-coverage on Jackson-Davis.

Johnson is another opponent who Syracuse is familiar with. Last season, he helped guide Pittsburgh to two wins over SU before he transferred to Indiana during the offseason. Johnson had seven assists in both contests last year, and he notched 23 points on a perfect 13-of-13 free throw performance in the second game.

Between Johnson and Jackson-Davis, the Orange will have their hands full. Indiana is not a fast-paced team — their offensive possessions are average 99th in the country — so the Hoosiers have the potential to wear down SU by driving inside or dishing to Jackson-Davis after holding the ball and slowing the game down.

Indiana faced St. Johns on Nov. 17 and notched a narrow, 2-point victory, but it has not yet faced another opponent ranked inside the KenPom top 100. The Hoosiers used a balanced attack that featured 11 points from freshman Tamar Bates as well as double-digit contributions from Miller Kopp and Race Thompson. Thompson’s floater in the final 30 seconds put Indiana up, and then a defensive stop secured the win.

Syracuse, ranked No. 61 by KenPom, will be a strong early-season test to help evaluate how good the Hoosiers really are.

How Syracuse beats Indiana

Syracuse needs to get Jesse Edwards going on offense. Indiana’s interior defense is strong, and it’s a solid team on the boards, but if Edwards can give the Orange options in the paint, then that’ll free up Buddy Boeheim, Joe Girard lll and Cole Swider to begin converting open 3-point looks.

Syracuse has lacked consistency shooting the ball early this season, so it will need a strong shooting day to lift itself to a victory over the Hoosiers. If Girard can dish the ball around and facilitate the way he showed he’s capable of earlier in the season — though against weak opponents — Syracuse could have a chance at beating Indiana, the 31st best team in the country according to KenPom.

Defensively, the Orange need to position themselves to rebound the basketball — Indiana ranks 206th in offensive rebounding. Winning the boards, or at least coming close, and forcing a lot of turnovers, would put SU in a good spot if it can pair that with clinical shooting.

Stat to know: 35.1%

Indiana leads the nation in defensive 2-point percentage (35.1%), according to KenPom. The Hoosiers’ defense held Jackson State and Louisiana to an average of less than 40 points and under 25% shooting from the field. Marshall posed a more realistic test for the defensive unit and scored on 55.1% of its 2-point attempts.

Indiana’s impressive defensive stats are likely padded by early season blowout wins, and Syracuse will be a good litmus test of how strong this defense actually is.

Player to watch: Trayce Jackson-Davis, forward, No. 23

Jackson-Davis, a junior, averages a team-high 20.5 points per game through six contests this season. He’s the only player who’s been on the court for over 30 minutes per game, and he has the second-most rebounds for the Hoosiers (7.7 per game) and the most blocks (23).

Jackson-Davis posted 43 points in 37 minutes as part of a 21-point blowout win over Marshall on Saturday. He currently sits in seventh on the standings for KenPom’s National Player of the Year award. Last season as a sophomore, he led the team in minutes, scoring, rebounding and blocks.

Published on November 29, 2021 at 8:10 pm

Contact Roshan: rferna04@syr.edu | @Roshan_f16