Syracuse (5-2) takes on Connecticut (3-4) on Monday at 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden. The two former Big East rivals will face off at the historic arena for the first time since 2012. SU ended its two-game losing streak on Saturday with a six-point win over North Florida and is looking to continue getting back on the right track. The Orange ranks as the 23rd best team in the country while UConn ranks 80th, per Kenpom.com.

Here’s what you need to know for the matchup.

How can you watch the game? The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 and can also be streamed online on ESPN3.

What do our beat writers think will happen? Find out, here.

What’s up with Syracuse’s starting lineup? After keeping the same starting lineup for the first six games of the year, SU head coach Jim Boeheim decided to change things up. He inserted Tyus Battle to start at shooting guard, bumping Andrew White down to small forward, Tyler Lydon to power forward and Tyler Roberson out of the starting lineup. We’ll see if Boeheim does it again Monday night.

Why are people excited about this game? Syracuse faced Connecticut 13 times at Madison Square Garden in the Big East tournament when the two were in the same conference. The stage is set similarly again, albeit in a non-conference game. Reminisce about all 13 prior meetings at MSG, here.

Anything else you should know? Read a breakdown of Connecticut, here.

What did we learn from Syracuse’s last game? The Orange escaped a pesky North Florida team with a six-point win just two days ago. We learned Dajuan Coleman could impressive offensive games together, Boeheim wasn’t pleased with Roberson and a three-guard lineup can create problems for opposing defenses.

Published on December 5, 2016 at 11:07 am

Contact Paul: pmschwed@syr.edu | @pschweds