8 takeaways from Syracuse's 81-73 win over Pittsburgh

Syracuse rallied in the second half for a 81-73 win over Pitt on Saturday. Here are eight key takeaways from the win.

Rebounding, specifically the difference in the two halves, was a major deciding factor in this game.

Pitt led by eight points and seven rebounds at halftime, owning a 22-15 advantage in the latter statistic. More concerning for the Orange was that the Panthers had a 45.0 percent offensive rebounding rate, grabbing nine of those compared to 11 defensive rebounds for SU and turning them into eight points (the top offensive rebounding rate in the nation on the season is 45.1 percent). The guests also grabbed 13 of 17 boards on their defensive end.

Things flipped in the second half, as Syracuse had a 25-17 overall advantage on the glass as part of their 51-35 performance on the scoreboard. The Orange negated Pitt’s success on the offensive glass, allowing them just five boards out of a potential 25 on that end for just a 20.0 offensive rebounding rate (the lowest nationally coming into the day was 17.9 percent).

Another statistical oddity showed in the turnover category. Pitt came into the game one of the best teams in the country protecting the ball, giving it up on just 11.7 percent of their possessions. The Orange, who came into the day forcing turnovers on 18.0 percent of opponent possessions, forced ten first half turnovers on 36 Pitt possessions, good for a 27.8 percent rate.

Things normalized in the second half, as Pitt committed just five miscues on 38 second half possessions, good for a 13.2 percent mark. That difference in turnovers between the two halves, when combined with SU’s overall scoring advantage after halftime, underlines how vital Syracuse’s second half rebounding was to their win. Their work on the glass simply eliminated Pitt scoring chances.

In Thursday’s column, I noted one key to improvement for the Orange would be to continue driving to the rim instead of settling for mid-range shots, including citing J.J. Starling as an example. Starling’s first two shots of the game were successful lay-ups and he finished 3-of-6 inside the arc with all three makes being classified as lay-ups.

Starling was not the only player doing a ton of work and seeing a lot of success inside. Benny Williams was 4-of-4 on dunks and 2-of-6 everywhere else. Maliq Brown had 14 of his 15 points from the doorstep, adding two more dunks while making 5-of-7 layups. On the whole, the team was 18-of-25 on shots listed as dunks and layups while shooting 6-of-15 inside the arc on everything else.

While Brown played his usual lion’s share of minutes at center, Naheem McLeod still had a vital role. McLeod accumulated three blocks and a steal in the first six minutes of the game, then added a fourth rejection in the opening minute of the second half. All told, that is strong production in 8:56 of playing time and still enabled him to be a defensive tone-setter against a team with three players 6’8” or taller who shoot 3-pointers.

With McLeod on the bench, SU did not have a real deterrent at the rim. The Panthers had 11 lay-ups and dunks in the game with all but one coming when Brown was on the floor instead of McLeod.

When McLeod was on the floor, Pitt made 1-of-5 lay-ups and dunks with the Syracuse big man blocking all of their misses. The remainder of the game, the Panthers were 10-of-18 on similar shots.

A separate takeaway regarding McLeod and Brown regarding their playing time extends to the forwards.

While McLeod was removed from the game early in the second half for matchup reasons, his presence at the start of both halves was useful and is the same reason Chris Bell and Justin Taylor should continue starting over Quadir Copeland and Williams: The found money principle.

McLeod provides a defensive presence no one else on the Syracuse roster has with his shotblocking capabilities. Bell and Taylor provide a similar quality in 3-point shooting.

If either makes an early 3, not only is there a tangible effect on the scoreboard, but it keeps driving lanes open and creates space for McLeod or Brown. In other words, any early success coming from those three is found money – a pleasant surprise you were not counting on.

Williams logged his best game of the season against Pittsburgh, coming one point and one rebound shy of doubling his best previous marks of the season in those two categories. Against Pitt, he provided a jolt of energy with his athletic play. That has been more absent than present this season.

Copeland has been sizzling lately, averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in his last four games.

It is clearly the best play of his career at SU, but only the recent games against Georgetown, Oregon, and Pittsburgh have shown him playing well against high-level competition.

Before that, he had 11 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals total against Tennessee, Gonzaga, LSU, and Virginia this season. Which is more likely to be coming for Copeland this season, statistical regression or All-ACC votes?

It is undeniable that Copeland has been a vital player and energetic sparkplug off the bench the last three weeks. His strong play coincides with Bell averaging 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game by shooting 7-of-23 overall and 2-of-11 from 3 and Taylor averaging 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds with 6-of-19 and 5-of-11 shooting marks.

With positive regression likely coming for Bell and Taylor, there is no desperate reason to shake things up, especially since the team has won the last four games.

The Orange (10-3, 1-1 ACC) return to the road when they travel for a late-night matchup with #16 Duke on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils (9-3, 0-1) will carry a four-game win streak into the contest, including a 78-70 win over then-#10 Baylor at Madison Square Garden, and have taken eight straight games in the series with SU.

Kyle Filipowski does a lot for Duke, leading the team in several categories, highlighted by averaging 18.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game on the season. Filipowski logged a 14-point, 12-board double-double when the teams faced off last season. Five other Blue Devils average over nine points a game, topped by Jeremy Roach at 14.3 points an outing.

Syracuse and Duke’s late start on Tuesday is set for 9:00pm Eastern and the game will be televised by ESPN.

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