Syracuse, N.Y. ― In Syracuse’s season-opening win over Le Moyne last week, Orange center Eddie Lampkin had to chase the Dolphins’ smaller centers around the perimeter.
Syracuse’s second game of the season will offer a completely different challenge for the Orange big man. On Tuesday, Syracuse will host Colgate and the Raiders’ veteran center Jeff Woodward.
Lampkin, a transfer from Colorado, is listed at 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds. Woodward, a fifth-year senior like Lampkin but a guy who has spent his entire career at Colgate, goes a legit 6-11, 270 pounds.
Woodward is stepping into a much larger role for Colgate this year after playing behind former Raiders center Keegan Records for most of his career. Woodward averaged 7.2 points and 4.2 rebounds last season, but in Colgate’s first two games this year, he is averaging 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.
In SU’s 86-82 win over Le Moyne last week, Lampkin had 10 points and three rebounds in 19 minutes.
This matchup should not only be fun to watch, but it could be key to the game.
Colgate comes into the game with a 1-1 record. The Raiders smoked SUNY-Canton 95-62 in their first game of the season before dropping a 73-56 decision at Drexel on Saturday.
Colgate has beaten Syracuse in two of the last three years and it would have been three straight years had Syracuse not erased a 24-point deficit in the second half of last year’s game and rallied for a 79-75 win.
Game time is set for 7 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome. The game will be shown on the ACC Network Extra. Here are four more key things to know about the matchup:
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A deeper look at SU’s D
The main topic surrounding the Syracuse Orange since its less-than-stellar performance last Monday has been the team’s porous defense.
The raw numbers paint a bleak overall picture. Le Moyne’s 82 points were more than Syracuse allowed in any of its 11 non-conference games last season. The Dolphins shot 48% from the field, including a 52% effort in the second half.
But a closer look reveals the real issue that Syracuse must resolve as it prepares for Tuesday’s game against Colgate and beyond.
Le Moyne’s 28 made field goals came off just 12 assists. Why is that important? It means the Le Moyne players weren’t getting their shots off terrific ball movement, back-cuts or even offensive rebounds (the Dolphins had just seven offensive rebounds resulting in five second-chance points).
No, Le Moyne scored most of its points simply by winning one-on-one situations. The Syracuse players couldn’t keep track of the Dolphins on the perimeter, nor could they keep their man out of the paint.
Defense starts with pride and the Orange’s pride should be stinging after last Monday’s showing.
Threes if you please
Syracuse shot the ball really well from 3-point range in its two exhibition games. In wins over Clarion and Slippery Rock, the Orange went a combined 27 of 66 from beyond the arc. That’s a .409 percentage.
So it was a bit of a surprise to watch the Orange struggle from the 3-point line against Le Moyne. The Orange made just four out of 22 attempts (18%).
It looked like some of the SU players were a little tight; maybe first-game jitters. They also appeared to press a little bit after falling behind early to Le Moyne.
This Syracuse team is supposed to be a better shooting outfit than last year’s group, which finished 11th in the ACC at 33.7%.
Chris Bell did go 2-for-6, but the real hope is that the group of JJ Starling, Donnie Freeman, Lucas Taylor and Elijah Moore will be much better than their combined 2-for-12 night against Le Moyne.
Colgate’s dominant run
Over the last six seasons, Langel’s Raiders have become the power program in the Patriot League. In that time, Colgate has gone 104-16 against its Patriot League foes. The Raiders have not lost back-to-back Patriot League games since 2018.
Colgate has been to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four years. In the last six years, the Raiders are 17-1 in the Patriot League tournament.
One key to Colgate’s success has been the retention of players. The Raiders have returned an All-Patriot first- or second-team player every year dating back to the 2017-18 season.
The streak ended this year. Not only did Colgate lose all-conference center Keegan Records and second-team forward Ryan Moffatt off last year’s team — both exhausted their eligibility — the Raiders also lost point guard Braeden Smith, the 2024 Patriot League Player of the Year, to the transfer portal. Smith, who would have been a junior this year, transferred to Gonzaga.
Langel’s program has been a model of consistency. The Raiders overcame losses of great players before. It will be interesting to see how Colgate compensates for its heavy losses this time around.
Donnie’s debut
Jyare Davis got the individual plaudits after SU’s win over Le Moyne. The 6-foot-7 grad transfer from Delaware saved the day for the Orange with his 22 points and 12 rebounds.
But another Syracuse player also registered a double-double without much fanfare, and that might say something about Donnie Freeman’s potential.
Freeman, a 6-foot-9 freshman, had 10 points and 12 rebounds against Le Moyne. It wasn’t the most efficient effort. He went 3-for-12 from the field, 1-for-3 from 3-point range and 3-for-5 at the foul line.
But he still impacted the game. Syracuse doesn’t win without his 11 boards. He didn’t shy away from taking his shots even when the ball wasn’t dropping for him.
Freeman‘s game reminds of another SU freshman’s debut. Chris McCullough, a similarly built forward, had 16 points and 11 points in his opening bow, which came in an 89-42 blowout of Kennesaw State in the 2014-15 opener.
Freeman must improve his defense. His athleticism and length make him SU’s best rim-protector.
Still, he has the potential to fill a significant role for this year’s team.
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