Opponent preview: Everything to know about 11-5 Virginia Tech

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Syracuse returns home after a two-game road trip to host Virginia Tech, which has lost four in a row after an impressive 11-1 start to the season. The Orange have won seven of their last nine games, though couldn’t complete a 23-point comeback at Virginia on Saturday, falling by a score of 73-66. 

VT has beaten four top-60 teams, per KenPom, including North Carolina (No. 21) and Oklahoma State (No. 29), but has stumbled since fully entering Atlantic Coast Conference play in late-December, losing to Boston College, Wake Forest, Clemson and NC State by a combined 14 points. As a result, Virginia Tech ranks near the bottom of the conference standings and are listed as one of the first four teams out in ESPN’s latest NCAA Tournament projections. 

Here’s everything to know about the Hokies before Wednesday night’s game: 

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 11-6. 

Last time they played

The two teams met in Blacksburg, Virginia, last February, with the Hokies coming out on top, 71-59. Virginia Tech used a 15-3 run over the final five minutes of the first half to take a 10-point lead into halftime, and despite tying the game at 54 in the second half, Syracuse couldn’t pull out the road win. VT used another run, this time a 13-0 one, in the game’s final minutes to pull away. The loss dropped the Orange to 13-12 and 7-7 in ACC play in what would end as their first-ever losing season under head coach Jim Boeheim. 

Buddy Boeheim led Syracuse with 21 points, shooting 8-for-19 — and 4-for-10 from 3-point range — while playing 39 minutes. Joe Girard III added 16 points, hitting four 3s, but the Orange got minimal production from Jimmy Boeheim (2-for-9 shooting, six points) and Cole Swider (0-for-5 from 3-point range, eight points). Backup center Frank Anselem played his first game in place of the injured Jesse Edwards and registered six points and 15 rebounds in 36 minutes. 

Virginia Tech, meanwhile, had five players finish with double-digit points, led by Keve Aluma’s 20. The Hokies only shot 29.6% from beyond the arc, but shot 17 more free throws than SU and converted at a 81% clip. VT also won the turnover battle, 11-4. 

KenPom odds

Virginia Tech has a 56% chance of winning, with a projected score of 70-68. 

The Hokies report

Offensively, sophomore guard Sean Pedulla leads the Hokies with 17.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. Pedulla has become VT’s go-to scorer after only notching 5.4 points per game and not starting a single game last season. This year, Pedulla has started all 16 games, shooting 35% from 3-point range and ranking fifth in the ACC in points per game. He ranks 40th nationally, per KenPom, in percentage of minutes played, recording over 35 per game. 

Pedulla is joined by forwards Grant Basile and Justyn Mutts, who both average 13 points per game. Mutts ranks sixth in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per game and his 58% field-goal percentage is third-best in the ACC. At 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, Mutts provides the Hokies with an inside option to potentially attack the 2-3 zone. Along the baseline. He has also connected on over 45% of his 3s, though has only attempted 24 so far this year.

Virginia Tech is one of the nation’s best teams at taking care of the ball, ranking ninth nationally with turnovers on less than 15% of its possessions. Defensively, the Hokies force teams into lengthy possessions, ranking 334th nationally in average possession length. VT doesn’t generate many turnovers, but it does make opponents earn their points. 

How Syracuse beats Virginia Tech

Syracuse outplayed then-No. 11 Virginia in the second half of Saturday’s game and carrying some of that momentum into Tuesday night will be key. The biggest thing the Orange need right now is more from Edwards. The senior started out the season as one of the ACC’s top centers — and still ranks No. 2 in the league in rebounds, and first (by far) in blocks — but his offensive output has been largely missing ever since scoring 20 points against Georgetown on Dec. 10. Edwards hasn’t scored more than 12 points since and was held to season-low four against UVA. 

If Edwards can become a go-to scorer again against VT, which will likely have 6-foot-10 Lynn Kidd (who averages five points and four rebounds per game) matched up on him, it’ll take the load off Girard, who has at times carried SU’s offense recently. Syracuse will need another strong effort from Girard, and an efficient one from Judah Mintz, too. And there will have to be scoring and rebounding from the forward position — regardless of whether that comes from Maliq Brown, Chris Bell or someone else. 

Stat to know: 25.1%

Virginia Tech gets just 25.1% of its minutes from bench players and typically only plays eight players. Three players average over 30 minutes per game, and starting guard Hunter Cattoor went down in December with an injury, making the rotation even thinner. Head coach Mike Young has utilized Mutts at the small forward position and as a backup point guard, and has increased freshman forward John Camden’s role, too. The thin rotation and lack of bench production is similar to how Syracuse has played over recent years, though the Orange rank 195th nationally in bench minutes this season and played 10 players against Virginia. 

Player to watch: Sean Pedulla, guard, No. 3

Pedulla hasn’t finished with single-digit points in one game this season while attempting at least 10 field goals in every game. The Hokies have relied on him in every game, including on Saturday against NC State, when the guard shot 5-of-13, recording 19 points and playing all 40 minutes in a 73-69 loss. Last season against Syracuse, Pedulla played 19 minutes, totaling three points and missing four of his five shots.