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Syracuse opens its 2021-22 regular season with a nonconference matchup against Lafayette on Tuesday night, the first of three consecutive games in the Carrier Dome to start the year. A pair of preseason scrimmages against Pace and Le Moyne turned into 19- and 40-point blowouts, respectively, and served as the first glimpse — albeit a skewed one — of the Orange’s rotation heading into the year.

SU will be tasked with facing a Lafayette group that lost Justin Jaworski and E.J. Stephens, who averaged 21.5 and 16.7 points per game last season, respectively. The Leopards finished 9-5 in the Patriot League last year and lost in the first round of the conference tournament to Bucknell by eight points.

Here’s what The Daily Orange’s three beat writers predict will happen for SU in its opener.

Andrew Crane
The Leopards sleep tonight
Syracuse 81, Lafayette 68

Based on how Syracuse’s past two season-openers have gone — it scored 34 points against Virginia in 2019 and barely scraped past Bryant last year — I’m hesitant to predict a score reflecting a blowout. I don’t think the victory margin will be that wide, but the Orange should still beat the Leopards handily. How will SU react if its 3-pointers don’t fall early in the first half? Has Jesse Edwards developed enough to inherit the starting role at center full-time, even after Bourama Sidibe returns from his injury? This string of nonconference games before the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will serve as benchmarks for projecting the Orange’s course for the rest of the year. The bigger question, though, is whether a sustainable blueprint will emerge for the Orange to follow for the rest of the year.

Roshan Fernandez
Continuing to impress
Syracuse 83, Lafayette 70

Syracuse shouldn’t lose to a Patriot League team, and it won’t. The Orange have talented perimeter shooters and should be able to find success even if one (or more) of them are having an off-night. During the exhibition games, Joe Girard III looked like an improved facilitator and distributor, and Jesse Edwards appeared to have made significant strides at center, both scoring in the paint and defensively. Questions remain about how much of that will translate against better opponents, but for now, against Lafayette, SU will continue to impress.

Gaurav Shetty
Smooth Start
Syracuse 87, Lafayette 68

Syracuse has never lost to Lafayette, and that trend should continue this year. In two exhibition games against Pace and Le Moyne, the Orange topped 20 assists both times. While it was against weaker competition than what Syracuse will face for the rest of the season, the Orange only averaged 15 assists per game last year. The additions of Cole Swider and Jimmy Boeheim, two new scoring options, has helped lighten the load on the likes of Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard III. All things considered, this should be a light first test for the new additions to the Orange.

Published on November 8, 2021 at 8:51 pm