The Syracuse Orange couldn't build on the momentum from defeating North Carolina last night as they dropped a winnable road game to Georgia Tech. Let's look at the main points.
attack stalls
Many will point to 4-25 from 3-25 as the reason for the Orange's loss, but Syracuse, which dominated in the paint against UNC, fell in love with mid-range shooting against Atlanta. The Orange led 14-18 at the rim, but were just 2-4 from further inside the paint. They were 2-13 from mid-range shooting, and if they can't hit it there, their long-range shooting woes will get even worse.
Syracuse then failed to make a field goal and a Bell 3 gave the Orange a 55-54 lead. It was the type of look the team needed to get early in the second half. Once again, it's up to the coaching staff to find some new ways to get points that lead to the next score, as the team is willing to crowd the lane to force Syracuse to take open jumpers. .
shallow depth
Going into the season, I felt like the Orange could overcome these half-court offense concerns with pressure defense. We've seen how good this team is at causing turnovers, but due to the lack of depth, a full court press isn't an option right now. Syracuse forced 17 turnovers last night, and you can't help but wonder if he could have gotten away with the game if he had applied more defensive pressure.
While not an excuse, cutting three players who were expected to be in the rotation (and part of the press package) affected the season. It may be too late for this team, but Adrian Autry should keep in mind that the press doesn't have to be a last resort next season.
rebound
Individually, Syracuse's players' rebounding numbers don't seem all that terrible. Overall, the Orange finished in a close 49-28 rebound battle and gave up 12 offensive boards to Georgia Tech, four of which came in the final four minutes of the game. These additional chances allowed Yellow's Jackets to finish the game on an 11-5 run, making skinny Syracuse's postseason hopes even smaller.
There's no time for the Orange to lament as they face North Carolina State on Tuesday. The Wolfpack is coming off a win at Clemson and will be aiming to stay in the ACC with a top-four finish.
