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Men's Basketball

Tech heads to Syracuse for Tuesday tilt

Game Notes


BLACKSBURG – Going on the road for the second straight contest, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team will head north to take on Syracuse on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET at The Dome.

The Hokies (10-4, 1-2 ACC) will go up against a team they are hoping to make it two straight wins in the all-time series, with Tech winning by 22 points in the last tilt in Blacksburg. 

And it sure was a memorable night the last time these two squads played, as Justin Robinson absolutely went off, scoring 35 points on his way to breaking two school records with nine 3-pointers and setting the all-time career assists record.

Tech coach Mike Young has never faced the Orange (8-6, 1-2), while the Hokies are 4-9 all-time in the series, including a stint when the two teams were BIG EAST foes.

The matchup will be broadcast on ACC Network with Chris Cotter (play-by-play) and Chris Spatola (analyst) on the call, while Jon Laaser (play-by-play) and Mike Burnop (analyst) will broadcast on Virginia Tech Sports Properties.

GAME INFORMATION
Tue. | 9 p.m. ET at Syracuse | Stats | Watch | Radio | Notes

The last time out, Tech didn't have its A-game against No. 18/18 Virginia, falling by 26 points and being held to under 40 points for the first time since 1967. Redshirt freshman Landers Nolley II had another double figures scoring game, though, racking up 18 points, including 15 of those in the first half, and five rebounds.

Despite the setback, the Hokies still rank favorably in the NCAA rankings, sitting second nationally in fouls committed per game (11.9) and third in assist/turnover ratio (1.60).

SCOUTING SYRACUSE

•  The Orange are coming off a one-point heartbreaking loss versus Notre Dame (10-4, 1-2) at home, falling 88-87 despite two players having 20-point outings in Buddy Boeheim (23 points) and Joseph Girard III (20) this past Saturday. Both teams hit 15 3-pointers apiece.

•  Jim Boeheim enters his 44th season as the head coach in Syracuse, starting all the way back in 1976. The Hall of Famer has led the Orange to five Final Four appearances and won it all in 2003. He ranks second all-time in wins, trailing only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski in Division I.

•  'Cuse is paced by Elijah Hughes, who is playing like an All-ACC performer, owning the second-best points per game average (19.7) in the conference and ranks seventh in assists (4.7). Buddy Boeheim, the son of Jim, has racked up 53 3-pointers on the year, the most in the league.  

•. Sharing the basketball is one of the Orange's strengths, as they sit No. 10 in the nation in assists per game with 17.6, which ranks second in the ACC, and they rarely turn it over, with the eighth-best assist/turnover ratio nationally with 1.44.