The most difficult game of Syracuse’s season comes Monday night against the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The unranked Orange (11-5, 2-1 Atlantic Coast) meet the best team in the country, Duke (14-1, 3-0), following the Orange’s rough home loss to Georgia Tech. Duke will hit the floor at 7 p.m. coming off Cam Reddish’s game-winner at No. 13 Florida State.

Here’s what you need to know about the Syracuse-Duke game Monday, broadcasted on ESPN.

All-time series: Duke leads, 7-5

Last time they played: In the 2018 Sweet 16, No. 11 seed Syracuse surprised No. 2 seed Duke by nearly pulling off the upset. SU lost, 69-65, in Omaha, Nebraska, ending the Orange’s three-win NCAA Tournament run. Tyus Battle led SU with 19 points and five assists in front of 17,399 fans.

The Duke report: The Blue Devils came seconds shy of the 2018 Final Four and welcome several of the best freshmen in the country. They also have the best two offensive players in the conference, both of whom are still teenagers: RJ Barrett (23.4 points per game) and Zion Williamson (20.3). Their entire offense is balanced and potent, with multiple ways to score from the inside and outside.

Aside from Barrett and Williamson, the players to know are Cam Reddish, Tre Jones, Jack White and Marques Bolden, all of which can score in bunches. They play tough defense too, as 39-year head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s unit pressures the ball and protects the rim. Duke generates a lot of offense off its defense, which was mostly a 2-3 zone against Syracuse last season. But this year, Duke has pressured teams with traps and up-tight defense.

How Syracuse beats Duke: Take two games for an idea of where the Blue Devils are vulnerable. They have lost only once (Gonzaga) and nearly lost only one other time, Saturday at No. 13 Florida State. Neither were at home, which doesn’t help Syracuse’s upset chances. And both were high-scoring: Duke scored 80 or more points in both of the aforementioned games. The upshot here: SU needs to start fast and score a lot.

Otherwise, SU would need some luck, Duke foul trouble, a plethora of 3-pointers to go down and big performances from starters and bench players alike. While unlikely, a major upset Monday would redeem SU’s bad loss to Georgia Tech and provide optimism for the Orange’s postseason hopes.

Stat to know: 90.0

That’s the number of points Duke averages per game, exactly 20 more than Syracuse. The ACC’s best offense hosts the worst.

KenPom odds: KenPom gives Syracuse a six percent chance to upset Duke and predicts an 81-64 Blue Devils victory.

Player to watch: Zion Williamson, freshman forward, No. 1

At 18 years old, Williamson is one of the most exciting players in the country. While he exited Duke’s game Saturday with a minor eye injury, he’s expected to play Monday against Syracuse. He’ll undoubtedly cause issues inside against the 2-3 zone — lobs, dunks, drives. He also can shoot 3s, making him the best single talent SU will face all season.

Published on January 13, 2019 at 8:49 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21