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After playing longtime rival Georgetown in Washington, D.C. last week, Syracuse travels to South Dakota for a neutral-site matchup against Oregon Sunday. The two teams have only played once before and both are searching for their eighth win.

The Ducks shoot 38.8% from 3-point range, which ranks as the 29th-best percentage in the country. The Orange, meanwhile, have been one of the weaker 3-point shooting teams in the country but had their best performance of the season from beyond the arc against the Hoyas, finishing 5-for-11.

Here’s everything you need to know about Oregon (7-2, 0-0 Pacific-12 Conference) before its matchup with Syracuse (7-3, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference):

All-time series

Oregon leads 1-0.

Last time they played

In 2018, Syracuse and Oregon played at a neutral site in its only matchup against each other. The two competed at Madison Square Garden in the 2K Empire Classic consolation game.

Like the current rendition of the Orange, their 2018-19 squad struggled from 3-point range. Against the Ducks, Elijah Hughes made two 3-pointers, but SU shot 5-for-28 from 3 and failed to keep up with Oregon in the first half.

While the second half box score was much tighter, the Orange failed to stop two future NBA players on the opposite sideline. The Ducks’ Bol Bol and Payton Pritchard scored 26 and 18 points, respectively, while Bol collected a game-high nine rebounds. Oregon eventually outrebounded SU 35-28 en route to an 80-65 victory.

Timmy Wilcox | Asst. Digital Editor

KenPom odds

Oregon has a 70% chance of winning, with a projected score of 78-72.

The Ducks report

The last time the two teams played, head coach Dana Altman was undergoing a nine-year run where his Oregon teams made the Sweet 16 five times, including in that 2018-19 season. However, in the past two years, the Ducks failed to make the NCAA tournament, which has caused some to question if Altman’s team has lost its edge.

But this year’s version of the Ducks statistically resembles his 2016-17 team that went to the Final Four. Both teams shot well with a Top 50 effective field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. Oregon’s 113.9 adjusted offensive efficiency ranks 33rd in the country, while the defense ranks 55th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Starter Jermaine Couisnard and backup Kario Oquendo have driven this offense as the two average 12.3 and 10.2 points, respectively.

This efficiency has led to mixed results including an overtime win over Michigan and a 99-91 loss to Alabama.

How Syracuse beats Oregon

Like its game against Virginia, Syracuse is an underdog playing away from home. While Oregon and SU will play at a neutral site in South Dakota, the Orange still have to go up against a superior opponent.

Judah Mintz and J.J. Starling will both have to be at the top of their game. Their performance against Georgetown served as a prime example of what the duo is capable of. Along with the two guards, Chris Bell and Justin Taylor will need to sink their shots.

Altman and the Ducks are known for their spread offense, which looks to open up cutting lanes and back cuts to the hoop. With Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry implementing man-to-man, the Orange have to stay quick on their toes. Center Naheem McLeod will have to be quick-footed in order to keep up and defend the rim. SU has an opportunity to keep it close, so if it can make its free throws as well, it can inch out a victory that could boost its resume for March.

Stat to know: 64.8%

For as proficient as the Ducks are in shooting, they curiously struggle from the free-throw line. Oregon ranks 323rd in the nation in free throw percentage, with a clip of 64.8%.

Couisnard gets to the line more than anybody on the team, but shoots an abysmal 63.6%. The Ducks are average when it comes to total free throw attempts, totaling 199 shots from the line, but have failed to produce effective results.

Player to watch: Jermaine Couisnard, guard, No. 5

Couisnard dealt with injuries in the 2022-23 season, limiting him to just the second half of the year. But through nine games this season, Couisnard has played in them all. Against Alabama, he scored 24 points and tallied five rebounds and six assists. The sixth-year guard has more experience than anybody on Oregon’s roster and has the ability to command the Ducks’ offense against Syracuse.

Published on December 13, 2023 at 9:12 pm

Contact Henry: henrywobrien1123@gmail.com