No. 3 Syracuse vs. No. 14 Indiana State will be one of the less-viewed Second Round games in the 2011 NCAA Tournament Bracket by virtue of its channel (truTV) and tipoff time (9:57 p.m. Friday) alone. And that might be for good basketball reasons, too: the Orange may be over-seeded slightly at the No. 3 line, while Indiana State could have gotten a No. 15 seed without anyone batting an eye. But March Madness wreaks havoc on even the supposedly skippable games of the 2011 NCAA Tournament schedule, and the Orange and Sycamores could yet author a classic .
NCAA Bracket Preview, Predictions: No. 3 Syracuse Vs. No. 14 Indiana State
Syracuse isn't likely to make a deep run in this NCAA Tournament; at most, they should bow out gallantly to North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen. The Orange can look very impressive at times, though: Jim Boeheim's vaunted 2-3 zone is the marrow of a strong defense, and when opponents get it down low, Syracuse collapses, leading the nation in percentage of opponents' shots blocked. On offense, everything runs through Scoop Jardine. If he's on, it's much easier for the Orange to win, and much more likely that Rick Jackson, Brandon Triche, and others can contribute.
Indiana State is a little harder to figure. The Sycamores do nothing exceptionally well, but have no glaring weakness besides a lack of height. (6'8" Myles Walker is their tallest regular.) But they got hot at season's end, winning the three games they needed to in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament by a total of 13 points, and that's what gave them their automatic berth. Will this be the Indiana State team that wins two NCAA Tournament games for the first time since Larry Bird wore powder blue? Probably not.
Star Watch: Jake Odum is a name you'll hear often in the next few years, but Indiana State's freshman point guard will be worth the time spent watching him on Friday. He's quick and decisive with the ball, and he also does a superb job as a defensive stopper, picking opponents' pockets on 3.7% of possessions. If Odum has a fantastic game, Indiana State might be in it until the end.
Prediction: Syracuse cruises, 82-70, as Odum’s valiant 15-point, 14-assist effort goes for naught.
More Reading: SB Nation’s Syracuse blog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, will have every Orange perspective you could want. And you can check out SB Nation Indiana for the local scoop on the Sycamores.
Need help picking your bracket? Check out SB Nation’s full 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions, picking every game of March Madness, or our region by region breakdowns for East Region, West Region, Southeast Region, and Southwest Region.
Did your team miss the 2011 NCAA Tournament? We have you covered: check out the 2011 NIT bracket.
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