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On Tuesday night, Syracuse defeated Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts with the Orange winning four straight games for the first time since the 2019-20 season.

The win streak two years ago was extended to five straight, and Syracuse has the chance to mimic that this weekend in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Orange will play Virginia Tech in a game that features two top 20 offenses, according to KenPom. The Hokies are also the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation, giving Syracuse’s zone a potential cause for concern.

But the Orange have also shot at least 45% from 3 during this four-game win streak as this game projects to be a potential shootout. Here’s what you need to know about Virginia Tech (14-10, 6-7 Atlantic Coast) as Syracuse (13-11, 7-6 ACC) looks to win five in a row:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 11-5.

Last time they played

The two teams last played in early 2021, when then-No. 16 Virginia Tech traveled up to play Syracuse. Four players for the Orange scored in double-digits as they upset the Hokies and picked up a key resume-building win. In a game where Buddy Boeheim was 3-for-13 and hit just one 3-pointer, it was up to the rest of the supporting cast to step up.

Quincy Guerrier led the way with 20 points, while Marek Dolezaj scored 18. Alan Griffin posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and he also added a career-high seven blocks. Off the bench, Kadary Richmond tacked on 13 points in 15 minutes as the Orange pulled off the upset.

KenPom odds

KenPom gives Virginia Tech a 71% chance of winning with a projected score of 77-71.

The Virginia Tech report

The Hokies are right on the heels of Syracuse, sitting just one game behind the Orange in the ACC standings. Virginia Tech started of the season 5-0 with some easy nonconference wins, but its season began to unravel around Thanksgiving. Starting with a loss to Memphis, VT went 5-10 over its next 15 games, only able to piece together multiple wins in a row once.

But that losing period ended right at the end of January with a big win over Florida State. The Hokies beat the Seminoles by 13 in Tallahassee and have since embarked on a four-game win streak just like Syracuse. It’s strikingly similar as well with SU losing to Pittsburgh and then going on a run of its own with the two teams now set to cross paths on Saturday.

How Syracuse beats Virginia Tech

This game projects to be a high-scoring game with both teams going point-for-point. Virginia Tech’s defense is about 100 spots better than Syracuse’s, but the Hokies still rank outside the KenPom top 100 in various defensive metrics. However, both teams have elite offenses that are among the best in the nation.

The simple answer as to how Syracuse beats Virginia Tech is that the Orange must outscore the Hokies throughout the game. In the win over Boston College, the Eagles came within single digits in the final two minutes of the game, which head coach Jim Boeheim said was a cause for concern. But BC just couldn’t hit the 3s it needed to and the Orange were hitting shots on the other end to see the win out, which is likely what will need to happen again for Syracuse to top VT.

Player to watch: Hunter Cattoor, guard, No. 0

Back in high school, Cattoor almost didn’t choose to suit up for the Hokies. The guard had committed to Wofford but then flipped to Virginia Tech after the team hired Mike Young from Wofford. Now, in his third season in Blacksburg, Cattoor leads the team in 3-pointers with 61 on 130 attempts. He also leads all starters shooting 46.9% from 3, first in the ACC ahead of Joe Girard III, who is in second.

Cattoor had his best game of the season a couple of weeks ago. In 38 minutes against Florida State, the guard was 9-for-11 from 3. The career-high 27 points he scored against the Seminoles helped Virginia Tech snap a three-game losing streak, as the Hokies have now won four straight starting with that win over FSU. With Cattoor on the other side of the court, Saturday night’s matchup will feature three of the ACC’s best 3-point shooters as Girard and Buddy are second and fifth, respectively, in the conference.

Stat to know: 42.1%

Virginia Tech is currently second in the NCAA in 3-point shooting percentage at 42.1%. The Hokies are powered by a couple of role players. Sean Pedulla and Darius Maddox have yet to start a game, but they come off the bench consistently to hit 3-pointers at a rate of 62.9% and 51.2%, respectively.

Of the starting five, Cattoor and Justyn Mutts both shoot at least 40% from 3. The Hokies top scorer, forward Keve Aluma, is the only starter who shoots less than 38% from 3. With those weapons around Aluma, the Hokies are capable of funneling attention to their star player before kicking out to more than capable 3-point shooters.

Published on February 9, 2022 at 8:42 pm

Contact Gaurav: gshetty@syr.edu