Boston College Men’s Basketball: Breaking Down the Orange with NunesMagician.com

After losing by a substantial margin to Boston College on New Year’s Day, the Syracuse Orange will have another chance to beat the Eagles when they host BC at the Carrier Dome Saturday. To help us break down the Orange, we welcome back our friend from NunesMagician.com, James Szuba.

So. What happened on New Year's Day?

Well, the Syracuse defense hasn't been great all year and poor defense really manifested itself in that game. How many open threes did you guys have?

Do you think that game was more of a fluke, or is there something else to keep an eye on?

I think it was a perfect storm, so to speak. That's not to say it can't happen again, but the stars have to align for things to that well again. I think this game will be more competitive.

It looks like the Orange might have gotten their footing following the loss to BC. Is that a fair assessment?

The wins over Miami and Pitt were huge and were by and large a result of improved defense. Then Syracuse took a step back at Virginia Tech. Syracuse just can't seem to win on the road or neutral court but time will tell if this team can find its footing.

What adjustments do you anticipate Syracuse making?

I think Syracuse will try to do a better job getting out to shooters and keeping the ball out of the high post. Easier said than done.

What is best case/worst case for Syracuse in its next game with BC?

Best case scenario, Syracuse plays outstanding defense and wins by 20. Worst case, syracuse does the same thing it did on New Year's Day and all hope is lost.

Prediction time:

I'm taking Syracuse by 3 in this one. Syracuse has been mostly good at home this year and I think it knows the blueprint to winning games, but that tough BC backcourt will keep things close.

Thanks to James for agreeing to be featured on our Q/A this week. He can be found on Twitter at @JamesSzuba, and at NunesMagician.com.