My five takeaways from Syracuse's loss to VCU in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
1. Cole Swider Needs to Find His Shot
Cole Swider did not seem to miss during the exhibition games and reports out of training camp were that Swider was shooting at a very high level. That has not come to fruition in the regular season so far, and against VCU was 0-7 from beyond the arc. He is now just 3-22 from three point range on the season, for a whopping 13.6%. He is a much better shooter than that, and he will break out of this slump to start the season. Syracuse needs him to sooner rather than later, however. Swider is an extremely important player for the Orange as he helps space the floor and keeps teams from focusing on Buddy. They will not win many games with him shooting like that. I think it is as much mental as it is physical at this point. He needs to see the ball go through the net a few times to get his confidence back.
2. Syracuse Needs More From the Bench
Frank Anselem, Symir Torrence and Benny Williams combined to play 37 minutes. They combined for 0 points on 0-3 shooting, four rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. They need much more than that. If Williams and Anselem are going to get significant run, they have to be able to rebound. Torrence has to make good decisions in the lane as he is the best guard option at dribble drive penetration in the half court. Yes Syracuse has a problem with lack of athleticism in its starting five. Three of its better athletes are those three on the bench. They have to be more productive.
3. Jesse Edwards Has to Stay on the Floor
When Edwards was on the floor, VCU really struggled to score. When he was not, the Rams found open looks all over the floor. Edwards played only 15 minutes due to foul trouble. Some of that was due to questionable calls. Some of that is being too jumpy on pump fakes. Edwards has to go straight up and not bite on those fakes as often so that he does not get into foul trouble. He can be such a difference maker defensively. In those 15 minutes, he had six points, four rebounds and three blocks.
4. Rebounding Was Better, Defense Still Struggled
Syracuse was able to outrebound VCU 43-38. That was certainly a positive given the issues on the glass against Colgate. However, VCU came in as a bad offensive team that struggled to shoot. They were shooting 26.3% from three point range and averaged only 50.8 points per game. Against Syracuse, the Rams scored. 67 points and shot 38.9% from beyond the arc. Too many open looks from the outside for the Orange defense. Mainly in the second half. The guards especially have to be better at staying home and not allowing wide open jumpers from the top of the key.
5. Is it Time to Panic?
Those that follow me and know my perspective understand that I am generally not one to overreact to negative situations. I rarely, if ever, panic (unless I'm watching an Eagles game, of course) and generally have a fairly optimistic view on things. Especially with Syracuse basketball that has not had a losing season in my lifetime. That is the background for what is next. I am not going to say it is time to panic yet, though I certainly understand those fans that are at that point. I want to see how the next two games in Atlantis play out before I can go there. But keep this in mind. The post Atlantis schedule is brutal. Indiana at home, at Florida State, Villanova at MSG. If Syracuse loses the next two in Atlantis, there is a very real scenario where it finds itself at 2-7. Bouncing back from that to keep the winning seasons streak in tact would be extremely difficult. So the next two games are extraordinarily important for a variety of reasons. That said, I do think Cole Swider will start to shoot better. I do like what I've seen from Jimmy Boeheim off the dribble. He handled VCU's pressure better than anyone else on the team. I have seen Syracuse flip the switch too many times to completely give up on that happening. But I am certainly closer than I have been in a long time given the way the team has looked the last two games and the schedule ahead.
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November 25, 2021 at 10:36AM
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Five Takeaways: VCU 67 Syracuse 55 - CalBearsMaven
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