Notebook: Syracuse defense shows signs of improvement
Syracuse could not hold on against bitter rivals Georgetown, losing 75-71. After this loss, Syracuse is now 0-5 against Power Five opponents.
Here are three observations from the game.
Defense shows improvements
The defense has struggled throughout the season. Entering today, Syracuse was allowing an average of 80 points per game, which is tied for 22nd worst in Division 1. Against Georgetown, they showed improvement by allowing only 75 points.
Improvement may stem from Syracuse’s two rotation pieces: senior forward Jyare Davis and senior guard Lucas Taylor, who significantly impacted defense.
They were the only two players with a positive plus-minus in today’s game.
Taylor pointed to his intensity as a big help when he plays defense.
“I kinda just take the approach of playing as hard as I can,” Taylor said.
The combination of that intensity and the coaches’ strategy appears to create a promising future for Taylor and the defense.
Syracuse PG finds his scoring touch
Senior point guard Jaquan Carlos had his best game as an Orange. He scored 15 points and had five assists, having his biggest impact with the game tied at 56 in the second half. He went to the free throw line three straight times and went 6-6.
Then, five minutes later, he drained a go-ahead corner 3-pointer. These nine points in five minutes is more than Carlos has averaged all season.
“I think I have gotten more comfortable playing in my rhythm,” Carlos said. “With JJ (Starling) out, they need me to step up and score more, so I’m kinda doing a better job with that.”
Battle of the Bigs
Because both teams struggled from behind the arc today, most of the scoring came from inside the paint. This led to a battle between senior Eddie Lampkin Jr. and freshman Thomas Sorber, who scored 18 and 16 points, respectively.
Lampkin had the slight edge in points, though Sorber’s team came away with the win.
The positive news for Syracuse is that Eddie Lampkin played 35 minutes, the highest amount since the overtime matchup against Youngstown St.
Lampkin downplayed the battle between the two bigs, calling it “just a regular game.”
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