BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS HOSTS ORANGE

January 10, 2009


Every so often Rutgers rises from the depths of despair to pull out a few surprising wins at home at the RAC. And, more than once, Syracuse has been their victim. However, those wins have yet to come in the Fred Hill era, although, they have made a couple runs already in close losses to Pitt and Marquette at home early in conference play.

Syracuse has a killer 10-game stretch beginning next week. They look to close out this four game conference opening stretch with another win, but they can not afford to be looking past the Scarlet Knights who are itching to knock one of the big boys off.

Here are some game articles and previews from the web:

Chandler Excels on the Wing for RU (myCentralJersey.com)
Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Rutgers (Post-Standard)
Syracuse Heads to Rutgers on Saturday (Syracuse.com)
Orange Set for Scarlet Knights (Syracuse.com)
Super Frosh Chose Rutgers (Post-Standard)

This one might be an interesting game with a Saturday night RAC crowd ready for something positive to happen for their Scarlet Knights. RU has size inside to match up with Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson with Hamady N’Diaye and Greg Echenique starting and JR Inman coming off the bench. Corey Chandler will have his hands full with Paul Harris, but Chandler is not one to back down from a mano-y-mano challenge on the court. SU has a clear advantage at point guard with Jonny Flynn, although Anthony Farmer, a senior, has been playing pretty well at times this season. RU also has a zone buster in Mike Rosario who has the green light to shoot RU into (or, at sometimes out) of games.

The early college basketball odds have Syracuse as a road favorite of 7 ½ points. With SU 3-0 in the Big East and a brutal stretch coming, and the Scarlet Knights 0-3, it will be mighty hard for the Orange not to take a breath in this game and let their guard down. Eric Devendorf off the bench is likely to be the difference in tilting the game to SU’s favor as RU narrowly misses another upset.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 74
Rutgers 69