Opponent Preview: What to know about Northeastern

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After a 80-68 home defeat to Colgate, Syracuse heads into its third game of the season against Northeastern on Saturday. The Orange looked comfortable in their opening game versus Lehigh, shooting 54% from the field with three players in double-digit scoring. But a defensive collapse on the perimeter against the Raiders saw SU give up 19 three-pointers to move to 1-1.

Last time out, Judah Mintz led Syracuse in scoring with 20 points. Benny Williams and Joe Girard III added 17 and 14, respectively. But their high totals couldn’t mask a poor shooting night. On Tuesday, the Orange shot just 25% from behind the arc in the second half, finishing with a lowly 32% mark on the night.

Northeastern has started its 2022-23 campaign 0-3, losing by just one point in its last matchup with Harvard. Totaling 18 bench points in the contest against the Crimson, the Huskies’ depth will be something Syracuse needs to contain this weekend.

Here’s what you need to know about Northeastern:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 8-0.

Last time they played

Two years ago, Syracuse hosted Northeastern for its sixth game of the season. Led by a 21-point performance from Girard, the Orange overcame a turbulent first half to take down the Huskies 62-56.

Prior to the matchup between the two sides, Syracuse lost just once to Rutgers and had already clinched an Atlantic Coast Conference victory against Boston College. SU’s defense, led by Quincy Guerrier and Kadary Richmond, allowed just one Northeastern player to enter double-digit scoring — Jahmyl Telfort, Northeastern’s current starting guard who finished with 16.

The Huskies limited Buddy Boeheim and Alan Griffin to a combined two points on 6.3% shooting. If it wasn’t for Girard’s offensive contribution, Syracuse wouldn’t have made a single 3-point shot.

Ultimately, the size disparity down low and Northeastern’s careless handling of the ball made the difference. Syracuse recorded 32 points in the paint to Northeastern’s 16, and the Orange forced the Huskies into 21 turnovers. SU’s suffocating defense then translated into quick transition play, pouring in 26 fast break points.

The Huskies report

The Huskies haven’t won a game so far this season, their biggest loss being a 24-point blowout away to Providence. Northeastern has respectable size down low, but its personnel are far too inexperienced with six freshmen and just one redshirt senior.

Telfort is given all the freedom he wants to operate and run plays offensively. The guard can spread the floor to create space for a spot-up 3 or will opt for isolation plays when comfortable. Northeastern loves the pick-and-roll, but rarely looks for its big man off of the play. Instead, the Huskies prefer kicking the ball out to open shooters.

In its last three games, Northeastern is tied for 50th in the country in 3-point attempts this season with 82. But the Huskies have been shooting at a poor 31.7% clip.

Defensively, Northeastern rarely moves away from its man-to-man defense, playing up on the perimeter. The Huskies prefer to force their man toward the baseline for their frontcourt to help out or to create a potential trap. So far this season, the Huskies have forced five steals and recorded more than five blocks per game.

How Syracuse beats Northeastern

To put it simply, Syracuse is a far more talented team. It’s bigger, stronger, quicker, and has far more experience.

If the Orange play the way they matchup with the Huskies on paper, Saturday’s game should be an easy win for SU. Mintz’s quickness to distribute and ability to create his own shot should be too much for Northeastern to handle. Jesse Edwards’s size and aggression down low should translate into a plethora of second-chance opportunities for the Orange.

Telfort poses the only danger to an SU defense that Colgate picked apart two nights ago. With the Raiders, pinpoint passing and intelligent ball movement caused Syracuse to scramble and look out of sorts. If the Orange opt to settle back into its projected 2-3 zone, Jim Boeheim’s team will have to make sure to close out on all shooters, especially Telfort.

Stat to know: 8.7

Although Northeastern sits dead last in the Colonial Athletic Association, it ranks fifth in the conference in average three-point makes per game with 8.7. Like Syracuse, the Huskies love to shoot the 3 and will fire without hesitation.

This isn’t great news for the Orange as their defensive miscommunications have left shooters wide open this season. SU allows its opponents an average of 13.5 makes from beyond the arc, a weakness that Northeastern will be sure to target.

Player to watch: Jahmyl Telfort, Guard, No. 11

At 6-foot-7, Telfort plays the same position as Girard but is far more similar to Chris Bell in size. He’s been Northeastern’s go-to-guy on offense, averaging 20 points so far this season, the second-most in the CAA.

Telfort is shooting 45.7% from the field and is extremely reliable at the charity stripe, cashing in on 84.6% of his free throws. Although he isn’t much of a distributor, Telfort has the ability to create at all three levels for the Huskies.