by Sharon Thorsland
Now, this is what North Carolina fans are used to. The Tar Heels are all alone atop the ACC at 4-0 in conference play, 12-3 overall, and ranked 7th in the country. After last year’s debacle, the Heels look like they are back on track. They’ve won five straight games, including their last three on the road. Now they return home to take on Syracuse on Saturday. Tip-off is set for noon on WBT.
It’s a new era for Syracuse, who parted ways with legendary coach Jim Boeheim after last season, replacing him with longtime assistant Adrian Autry. The change seems to have been good for the Orange, who have jumped out to a 14-2 start to the seasons (2-2 ACC). They’re doing it with some outstanding defense – they held Boston College to just 22 points in the first half Wednesday night. Syracuse has dropped its infamous 2-3 zone defense, switching to a man to man scheme. They’re also more uptempo on the offensive side, led by sophomore point guard Judah Mintz. He’s averaging 18.5 points per game, and hitting over 37 percent of his shots from behind the arc. Mintz teams with JJ Starling, the sophomore transfer from Notre Dame. They’ll face the tandem of RJ Davis and freshman Elliott Cadeau, who have both been outstanding for the Tar Heels this season.
A big question mark for Syracuse is the center position. FSU transfer Naheem McLeod went down with an injury this week so forward Maliq Brown has replaced him on the floor. The sophomore is only 6’8 but has been averaging over 17 points per game over his last five starts. But going against Armando Bacot will likely prove to be a challenge for Brown, as Bacot is one of the best rebounders in the league and is also three inches taller. Chris Bell and Quadir Copeland round out Syracuse’s starting five. Bell can be lethal from three, while Copeland is averaging over eight points and five rebounds per game.
Harrison Ingram has been the x-factor for the Tar Heels lately. The Stanford transfer has done a little bit of everything, including grabbing a record 19 rebounds at NC State Wednesday night.
After some tough losses early in the season, the Tar Heels are hitting their stride. They’ve have won two straight against Syracuse, including an overtime thriller the last time they met in the Dean Dome. UNC should make it three straight on Saturday. Go Tar Heels!
