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Syracuse entered today’s game with a chance to win three games in a row, something the Orange have not done all season. Louisville presented the perfect opportunity, as the Cardinals were 1-7 in their last eight and without top scorer Malik Williams due to suspension.

Syracuse (12-11, 6-6 Atlantic Coast) cruised to a 92-69 victory over Louisville (11-12, 5-8 ACC) on Saturday. The Orange stormed out of the gate on offense with pick and rolls, providing dividends. SU also continued to shoot the ball well, particularly from 3. But the star of today’s game was Jesse Edwards, who contributed on both ends of the court. He tied for the team lead with 19 points and led the team with eight rebounds and three steals.

Here are three observations from Syracuse’s win and first three-game win streak of the season:

Pick and rolls the key early

As Joe Girard III brought the ball up for one of Syracuse’s early possessions, two Louisville defenders pressed up on the guard, seemingly unaware of the space behind them. So, Girard passed the ball over the top to Edwards down low. Wide-open, Edwards just hopped and dunked the ball.

With the Cardinals playing without 6-foot-11 Williams, the Orange keyed on the paint early. To do so, Syracuse used the pick and roll to get Edwards open in the paint. Later, Edwards ran up to Cole Swider on the wing and set a screen. When Swider took just one dribble to the side, Edwards turned around and Swider immediately tossed the ball up to him as he took two steps in stride for the dunk.

As Edwards began to rack up easy dunks and layups down low, Louisville tried to adjust and stop the Syracuse big man from getting easy shots. The Cardinals would try to swat the ball low before Edwards could bring it up over his head. But the increased focus on Edwards opened up space for the rest of the team.

After a pick and roll with Buddy Boeheim, Edwards received the ball and charged to the basket. Except there were two Louisville defenders under the basket, so Edwards jumped in the air and slung the ball to the corner to Swider for an easy 3.

In total, Syracuse scored 43 points in the first half, making the most of a very clear advantage in the paint to both score points and create shots on the perimeter.

3s fall the Orange way

While Edwards feasted down low, the rest of the Orange team benefited with clear looks from 3. In the first half, Syracuse made the most of its open looks going 8-for-15, which prompted Louisville to try and catch up. The Cardinals, however, could not keep up at all, shooting 2-for-16 in the opening half.

Ball movement was key to Syracuse’s 3-point success. The Orange would often tease a paint drive before passing it back out for 3. It worked in the first half, with Edwards faking a layup and passing to Swider.

Later in the first half, Girard began the play dribbling up the court before passing inside to Edwards. Edwards tried to back his man down but ran into a roadblock, so he hit Buddy on the wing. Buddy pump-faked a 3 and drove into traffic and passed out to Jimmy Boeheim on the opposite wing. Instead of shooting, Jimmy made the extra pass back to Girard, in the same spot he started the play, for a wide-open 3-pointer.

On the other end, the Cardinals could not hit 3s the same way Syracuse was. Buddy, Girard and Swider hit more 3-pointers on their own than the entire Louisville team could muster. Louisville missed five straight 3-pointers, then made two in a row, before missing nine more to go into halftime.

Jesse Edwards stuffs the stat sheet

While the pick and roll paid dividends in the first half, the Orange began to move away from it after halftime as Louisville adjusted to the pick and roll. But that didn’t stop Edwards from continuing to take advantage over easy competition in the paint.

Edwards finished the game with 19 points and posted a team-high in rebounds and steals with eight and three, respectively. He started with a plethora of dunks, taking advantage of the absence of Williams down low.

In the second half, Edwards showed his ability to find scoring opportunities for himself. As Girard brought the ball up in transition, he quickly slowed down near the middle of the court. With the Louisville defense not set yet, Edwards began a run from the wing and into the paint with his hands raised in the air.

Girard quickly threw a pass past everybody, and Edwards just had to hop and grab the ball for another simple dunk. By the time Edwards was substituted out with a quarter of the game still left, the Orange fans gave him a standing ovation. But the most important aspect of Edwards’ game appeared in the personal foul column. The center had just one foul in 26 minutes, tied for a season-low.

Today’s game provided a glimpse into the invaluable member that Edwards has become. Last year, head coach Jim Boeheim said Edwards was not ready, and even after the loss to Pittsburgh this year, Boeheim said he didn’t think Edwards was capable of providing more than he already was. But today’s showcase showed something different. It highlighted Edwards’ abilities as a scorer and a key part of the offense, something that has been missing for a few years for the Orange.

Published on February 5, 2022 at 4:20 pm

Contact Gaurav: gshetty@syr.edu