While it’s not the result Syracuse wanted, SU will still compete in the postseason as a top seed in the NIT. On Tuesday night, Syracuse will host eighth seeded UNC Greensboro inside the Carrier Dome. The matchup comes just days after Jim Boeheim said: “There’s no reason to play [the ACC Tournament] in Greensboro.”
The NIT selection chair denied putting the two teams together for that reason, but it doesn’t seem like this is much of a coincidence…
Here’s what you need to know about the UNC Greensboro Spartans.
The resume
UNC Greensboro is 25-9 and finished first in the Southern Conference in the regular season. The team lost in the Southern Conference Tournament championship against Eastern Tennessee State 79-74, which ended their NCAA Tournament hopes.
In the non-conference, UNC Greensboro fell to the three best opponents it faced in Virginia, Wake Forest and Georgetown.
Best players
Spanish guard Francis Alonso is the leading scorer for UNC Greensboro. He puts up over 15 points per game and shoots a whopping 47% from downtown. In the Southern Conference Championship game, Alonso missed a game tying three point shot in the dying moments.
Point guard Diante Baldwin is another player to watch. He averages 13 points per game to go along with 4 assists. He shoots 38% from three.
RJ White leads UNC Greensboro in rebounding with just under seven per game. He’s been a double-digit scorer for the Spartans in each of the last three seasons.
Who has the edge?
On paper, Syracuse welcoming UNC Greensboro to the Carrier Dome should be advantage Orange. The key in this game for Syracuse will be limiting the three point looks for Greensboro. The Spartans shoot a combined 39% from downtown as a team, which is good for 34th in the country.
SU is right behind UNCG, with a 38% mark as a team. As we’ve seen throughout the season though, the Orange’s shooting can be very inconsistent.
The x-factor in the game will be Tyler Lydon. He should be able to have a good night in the paint Tuesday against an undersized team looking to jack up threes.
Posted: Connor Morrissette
