SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 7/7 Syracuse (12-1) will open BIG EAST play when it hosts Rutgers (9-2) on what could be a historic night in the Carrier Dome on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. Orange head coach
Jim Boeheim is going for his 903rd career victory, which would move him into sole possession of second place on the all-time Division I wins list.
902 AND COUNTING… Head coach
Jim Boeheim earned his 902nd career victory when Syracuse defeated Central Connecticut on Monday, Dec. 31. He is now tied with Bob Knight for second place on the all-time record list for most victories by a Division I men's basketball coach. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Knight and Boeheim are the only three Division I coaches to accumulate 900 triumphs. Boeheim is the only one of the three to reach the milestone at one school.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE Five players reached double figures in scoring to lead Syracuse to a 96-62 victory against Central Connecticut on Monday, Dec. 31 in the Carrier Dome.
The first 12 minutes featured back-and-fourth action as neither could pull away. With the Blue Devils leading by three, junior
C.J. Fair hit a jumper that sparked the Orange on a 29-5 scoring run over the final 8:43 of the half to give SU a 47-26 halftime lead.
The second half featured more Syracuse offense as it led by as many as 40 points. The Orange shot 52.6 percent (20-for-38) after intermission, while its defense limited Central Connecticut to just 29.7 percent (11-for-37) from the field, including 15.8 percent (3-for-19) from three-point range.
Sophomore
Michael Carter-Williams led Syracuse with 18 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Fair also posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Senior
Brandon Triche and freshman
DaJuan Coleman finished with 13 points apiece, while senior
James Southerland added 11 points off the bench. Sophomore
Rakeem Christmas pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds to help SU to a 57-32 advantage on the boards.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS Rutgers enters Wednesday's game on a five-game winning streak, which has improved its record to 9-2. The Scarlet Knights were picked to finish 11th in the BIG EAST in the preseason coaches' poll.
Eli Carter and Myles Mack lead the Rutgers offense. Carter is averaging 16.9 points per game, while Mack is adding 14.5 points per contest. Wally Judge is Rutgers' leading rebounder (6.9 rpg.) and shot blocker (16), while Carter, Mack and Dane Miller have dished out 30 assists each.
Mike Rice is in his third season at the helm of the Rutgers program. He has guided the Scarlet Knights to a 29-35 record. Rice previously served as the head coach at Robert Morris for three seasons, leading his squad to one NIT and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
THE SERIES
Syracuse leads the all-time series against Rutgers, 28-9. The Orange has won the last 12 meetings, including last year's contest at the Carrier Dome, 74-64. The Scarlet Knights' last victory against SU was a 68-65 win at the Rutgers Athletic Center on January 29, 2003.
UP NEXT… Syracuse goes on the road to face USF on Sunday, Jan. 6 at noon.
