Game #126. Syracuse is in the midst of its longest losing streak in some time as the Orange visits UConn this evening in snowy Hartford.
Tonight’s game in Hartford between Syracuse and Connecticut has big implications going forward. First, most important (and obvious) is Syracuse is on a four-game losing skid that includes a 22-point beatdown in the Carrier Dome at the hands of Seton Hall. While Syracuse is in no danger of joining the bubble anytime soon, their season prognosis is beginning to look like Texas’ epic collapse last season. The Orange need to right this ship as soon as possible. Connecticut is dealing with its own questions after a tough double-overtime home loss to Louisville last week. Kemba Walker has starting coming back down to earth, but freshmen Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith have picked up the slack. Still, there are lingering doubts about whether the Huskies are true Final Four contenders: most notably can the freshmen step up and deliver when Walker goes cold? The hidden storyline revolves around the weather: like most of the country, New England was ravaged with snow, sleet and freezing rain the last couple of days, making travel a little dicey. Normally that doesn’t hurt the home school too much because most arenas are on campus. But this game isn’t in Storrs, so who knows how many fans make the trip? With the homecourt advantage neutralized and Syracuse desperate for a win, there’s a very good chance for Jim Boeheim’s team to pull off the upset, especially if their zone can fluster Kemba Walker.
[Ed. Note: We are having some WiFi issues at the XL Center so there will be no RTC Live for this game, but be sure to check back for our recap.]