What to watch for in Syracuse’s matchup against Virginia Tech

Syracuse travels south to play at Florida State on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. (TV: ESPNU). Here's what to watch for in the game.

1. Can Syracuse avoid a devastating loss?

This is one of those games that Syracuse can't really win when it comes to its NCAA Tournament resume. Wednesday night's game is a Quadrant 3 game for the Orange. Q3 games are defined as a road game against a team ranked 135-240, and the Seminoles are currently 208th. Syracuse, which is 97th in NET, essentially needs to run the table in the remainder of the regular season to get back on the right side of the NCAA Bubble, and its third Q3 loss of the season (it already has two against Colgate and Bryant) would effectively end all chances at an at-large bid.

2. Can Benny Williams work his way back?

One game after Benny Williams sat out against Virginia for "personal reasons," he played just seven minutes as Syracuse topped Boston College. Williams has had an up-and-down sophomore season, but it hit a low after he was pulled from the starting lineup in favor of Maliq Brown in a road loss to Virginia Tech. The question now is if Williams can earn his way back into the rotation. Jim Boeheim has prodded Williams to score around the basket, and that seems like a good place to start.

3. What will Jesse Williams do for an encore?

Jesse Williams is coming off the game of his college career. He scored 27 points and added 7 rebounds and 4 blocks as Syracuse pulled away from Boston College. The key was that Edwards finished with just 3 fouls, the first time he's had 3 or less fouls since a Jan. 14 win over Notre Dame. Syracuse looked for him early and often against the Eagles, and should do the same against Florida State.

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