After a 99-83 win in the first round against Team Gibson, Boeheim’s Army is back in action tonight against the team that knocked them out last year. The Nerd Team, a squad largely made up of players from Ivy League and other top-caliber academic colleges beat the Happy Valley Hoopers 54-49 in the first round.
In the round of 64 for the Army, the Syracuse alumni team showed off a suffocating man defense that caused 14 turnovers and led to 19 points off of turnovers. Boeheim’s Army held Team Gibson to shooting just 34% from three. It was the three-point defense that led to the team’s downfall against The Nerd Team last year. The Nerd Team did look very different in their opening-round matchup this year, shooting under 25% from deep but the deep ball is still something to look out for.
Prentiss Hubb led the scoring for The Nerd Team in the round of 64. Hubb, the Notre Dame alumnus and former All-ACCer was one of just two players in double digits. The defensive end is where The Nerd Team is so dangerous. Just one Happy Valley Hooper scored over 10 points, in Samuel Semmons who scored 28.
Boeheim’s Army showed to be an unselfish team in their first-round game. All 11 players who saw the floor scored at least one point, and four scored over 10. While the team had just 13 assists, they still moved the ball really well and showed early signs of strong team chemistry.
Tonight’s game is being played at the Oncenter in downtown Syracuse, the home of the Syracuse Crunch. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. on ESPN+. The winner will take on the winner of Blue Collar U and Virginia Dream in the round of 16 with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
