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After the first losing season in the Jim Boeheim era, Syracuse returns to the court Monday night against Lehigh. The Orange return two starters, Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards, and add a talented group of freshmen from a recruiting class that ranked top-25 nationally, per 247Sports. 

SU opens its season with a slate of winnable games, and there’s a chance it won’t face a power-conference team until the end of November when it travels to Illinois for the Atlantic Coast Conference-Big Ten Challenge. Syracuse’s first three games are inside the JMA Wireless Dome, and after its game against the Mountain Hawks, the Orange will have an eight-day break before facing Colgate. 

Here’s everything to know about Lehigh before Monday night’s matchup: 

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 4-0. 

Last time they played

Syracuse and Lehigh last met under similar circumstances in 2015, when the Mountain Hawks traveled to the Dome for both teams’ season-opener. Syracuse won the defensive battle 57-47, and outscored Lehigh 32-12 in the first half. But the Mountain Hawks outscored the Orange by 10 in the second half. Both teams struggled shooting the ball, with Lehigh making just 2-of-17 3-point attempts, and the Orange converting on less than 35% of their shots. 

Michael Gbinije took over as SU’s starting point guard and tied a game-high with 16 points. Freshman Malachi Richardson added 14 points and six rebounds, and Tyler Lydon had 11 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench. Lehigh center Tim Kempton notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. 

The win was the first of 23 the Orange recorded in the 2015-16 season, culminating with a run to the Final Four. Syracuse snuck into the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed and rattled off four straight wins, including a comeback one over top-seeded Virginia, to advance to the semifinals, where it ultimately fell to North Carolina. The season was the last time SU went to the Final Four, and the fifth in Boeheim’s tenure. 

The Mountain Hawks report

Lehigh enters the season ranked bottom-third nationally, per KenPom. The Mountain Hawks haven’t had a winning season since 2018-19, and finished 13-19 last year, though they did secure a winning record in Patriot League play. Lehigh lost a tight game to Rutgers, and fell at Virginia by 18 in November. A mid-December game in Syracuse was canceled after several SU players tested positive for COVID-19. 

Last year’s leading scorer, Evan Taylor, returns for his senior season in Lehigh’s backcourt. Taylor averaged 13 points per game and 5.8 rebounds, garnering third-team all-conference honors. Fellow guard Keith Higgins Jr., who led the Mountain Hawks with 70 assists last year, also returns, though Lehigh lost two of its top three leading scorers. 

The Mountain Hawks finished last season with one of the nation’s worst defensive efficiency, per KenPom, and struggled to guard the 3-ball. Their steal percentage also ranked near the bottom of the country. Offensively, though, Lehigh was one of the top 3-point shooting teams, with a 38.2% ranking No. 9 nationally. 

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How Syracuse beats Lehigh

SU shouldn’t have much trouble in this one, though the Orange did struggle at times in their two exhibition games against Division-II teams. Considering Lehigh finished sub .500 last season and lost two key players (forward Jeameril Wilson and center Nik Lynch) means it should struggle against an ACC team like Syracuse.

Lehigh’s two big men, both listed at 6-foot-11, are each freshmen, giving Edwards the advantage inside. The Orange will have the edge on the wings as well with 6-foot-6 Benny Williams and Chris Bell. Syracuse should control the glass and attack inside to get easy buckets. Pushing in transition will help, too. 

Stat to know: 26.2

Last season, Lehigh’s ratio of allowed 3-point attempts to field goal attempts was 26.2, the highest in the country. Syracuse, on the other hand, had the nation’s second-highest rate at 48.7. It shows how much the Mountain Hawks were able to limit opponents taking 3-pointers last season, which is important since they also had one of the worst 3-point defenses. It could make it tough for Girard and Judah Mintz to find open looks on Monday. 

Player to watch: Evan Taylor, guard, No. 5 

Taylor has improved each season at Lehigh, going from 8.7 points per game as a sophomore to 13 last season. He finished the year in the top-10 in the Patriot League in 3-point percentage, and also recorded a team-high 26 steals. Taylor was limited, though, in Lehigh’s games against Rutgers and Virginia, totaling just 11 combined points. 

Published on November 7, 2022 at 2:19 am

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_