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STORRS, Conn. — In Felisha Legette Jack’s second season at the helm, Syracuse made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. After finishing 20-13 and reaching the Super 16 of the WNIT in 2022-23, the Orange were predicted to finish ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference by the conference’s Blue Ribbon Panel.

Throughout its 23-win season, which tied a regular-season program record, SU exceeded all expectations. Headlined by comeback wins against Clemson, Florida State, Louisville and a season sweep of Notre Dame, the Orange had the third-best regular-season record (13-5) in the ACC.

Despite receiving a double bye in the ACC Tournament, Syracuse fell flat versus FSU, losing 78-65. The defeat capped off SU’s third loss in its last four games, giving it a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

On Saturday, the Orange face No. 11 seed Arizona, which defeated Auburn 69-59 in the First Four Thursday. The game will be played at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut — the home of No. 3 seed UConn. The winner of SU and Arizona will face the winner of the Huskies and No. 14 seed Jackson State.

Here’s everything to know about Syracuse’s (23-7, 13-5 ACC) round of 64 matchup versus Arizona (18-15, 8-10 Pac-12):

All-time series

Arizona leads 1-0.

Last time they played…

The only time Syracuse and Arizona have ever faced off was on Dec. 2, 2011, in the Hukilau Invitational played in Laie, Hawaii. In a back-and-forth contest, the Orange were led by senior forward Iasia Hemingway’s 22 points and 11 rebounds. Yet it wasn’t enough, as the Wildcats won 80-76.

SU trailed 37-32 at the half before taking a 44-42 lead three minutes into the second half. There were five lead changes throughout the second half, but a late 8-0 run from Arizona propelled it to a narrow victory.

The Wildcats report

Arizona is playing in its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament under head coach Adia Barnes. Though Arizona’s team is a lot different than it looked at the beginning of the season. On Feb. 26, Barnes announced that leading scorer Kailyn Gilbert, a sophomore guard who averaged 15.1 points per game, was no longer on the Wildcats’ roster.

On Dec. 15, Maya Nnaji, the highest recruit in program history and the younger sister of former Arizona star and NBA player Zeke Nnaji, announced she was stepping away from basketball. Recently, she detailed how she thought the Wildcats’ program was toxic. A month after Nnaji left the program, fellow forward Salimatou Kourouma was ruled out for the season.

Beyond that, the Wildcats’ leading scorers from last year, guard Shaina Pellington (13.4) and Cate Reese (13.2) each graduated after their fifth year with the program. Because of all this, Arizona features a seven-player rotation. Only senior forward Esmery Martinez (11.2) averages double-digit points.

Through it all, Arizona finished the season 18-15 and picked up wins versus then-No. 15 Utah and then-No. 3 Stanford. Additionally, against No. 3 USC, the Wildcats lost a double overtime game 95-93 and again played the Trojans tightly in the Pac-12 Tournament, losing 65-62.

How Syracuse beats Arizona

Arizona’s calling card this season has been its defense — especially its ability to force turnovers. In the First Four against Auburn, the Wildcats forced 23 turnovers and turned those into 23 points on offense. In its wins over Utah and Stanford, Arizona was similarly dominant, forcing the Cardinals into 18 giveaways and the Utes into 17.

For the Orange to succeed against a defense prone to forcing turnovers, they’ll have to play fast, something that Legette-Jack said SU displays when it’s at its best.

Through the entirety of January — where SU went 7-2 — Syracuse’s offense was free-flowing and not stagnant in the half court as it’s been of late. When Dyaisha Fair nailed a program-record nine 3-pointers in SU’s win over FSU, it was with guard Kennedi Perkins serving as a co-facilitator on the floor, helping alleviate defensive pressure off of Fair.

For Syracuse to not fall victim to the Wildcats’ defense, playing a more guard-heavy lineup with Perkins or Sophie Burrows alongside Fair, Georgia Woolley and Alaina Rice could go a long way toward creating better spacing for the Orange to play with speed.

Stat to know: 19.8

On the season, the Wildcats’ opponents turn the ball over 19.8 times per game, the 22nd most in Division I, per HerHoopStats. Senior guard Helena Pueyo — who stands 6-feet tall and seems likely to guard Fair — notched 3.2 steals per game. Her 106 total steals are the seventh-most in D-I this season.

Additionally, Arizona has a game-changing interior presence, as forward Breya Cunningham’s 1.79 blocks per game rank 43rd in D-I.

Player to watch: Jada Williams, guard, No. 2

Jada Williams isn’t the best player on Arizona’s roster, but her offensive performance against Syracuse will heavily influence Arizona’s chance of winning. Williams, a freshman, averages just 9.4 points per game on 35.8% shooting from the field.

But in the Wildcats’ win over Auburn, she scored a team-high 17 points. Additionally, she matched a career-high scoring 23 points in their win over Utah. Yet, she has struggled with inconsistency as a freshman recording two points in Arizona’s final regular season game before scoring just two and seven points, respectively, in its two Pac-12 Tournament games.

Published on March 22, 2024 at 7:01 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon