Syracuse Set to Host Northeastern Saturday

Game Details: Saturday, December 20, Syracuse, N.Y., 4:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ACC Network Extra
Live Coverage: Stats
X (Twitter): @Cuse_MBB | @Cuse
Instagram: @cuse_mbb
Facebook: Syracuse Orange
Syracuse Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule
Northeastern Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule

Syracuse (7-4) will welcome Northeastern (4-5) to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon, continuing its December homestand.

The Home Stretch of Non-Conference Play
Syracuse enters Saturday's matchup coming off a 76-62 win over Mercyhurst.

The Orange are 7-1 at the JMA Wireless Dome, including a triumph in the ACC/SEC Challenge against then-ranked #13 Tennessee.

Syracuse has held opponents to 63.8 points per game over its last four home contests while averaging 8.0 blocks, more than double their opponents' total.

Syracuse has established an inside presence during its homestand, averaging 35 points in the paint across four games and recording 46 against Mercyhurst on Wednesday. The Huskies have allowed 40 or more interior points in three of their last four outings.

Who's Hot?
Senior William Kyle III has been the anchor for Syracuse during the last few games, filling the stat sheet on both ends of the floor. Over his last four appearances, the senior has racked up 19 blocks, including six against the Tennessee Volunteers. In total, the senior big man has compiled 37 blocks this year for an average of 3.4 per game, which is the second-best mark amongst all Division I players.

Meanwhile, he's getting it done on the offensive side as well, scoring in double digits in each game since returning home to Jim Boeheim Court. Kyle III also notched his third double-double of the season earlier this week, going for a team-high 15 points and 10 boards against Mercyhurst.

Senior J.J. Starling has been consistent, tallying eight consecutive games with double-digit points since returning from injury. Starling has led or been tied for the team-lead in points the past two games, scoring 15 in both. The veteran guard is approaching a career milestone, sitting just 16 points from 1,000 points at Syracuse.

Senior Nate Kingz is averaging 12.5 points and shooting 17-of-34 (.500) from the field in his most recent four outings. He has also grabbed five or more rebounds in each of those performances.

The freshman tandem of Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony combined for 25 points against Mercyhurst. White Jr. threw down four dunks while Anthony finished a couple of layups through contact against the Lakers as the duo scored 13 and 12 points, respectively. White Jr. added nine rebounds.

Scouting Northeastern
The Huskies come to Syracuse with a 4-5 record and will play their first game in nearly two weeks. Northeastern's most recent contest was a 73-56 win over Central Connecticut State on December 7.

The Huskies' offense has been streaky, including a 93-point performance in a win over Duquesne while also having a couple of matchups where they failed to hit the 60-point threshold. In total, Northeastern is averaging 72.1 points per game while shooting .446 from the field.

The Huskies are without senior guard LA Pratt, who suffered a season-ending injury in mid-November. Pratt played a key role in the Huskies' offense a year ago, playing in 31 games while scoring 11.2 points per contest and dishing out 2.5 assists per game. Pratt was averaging 17.0 points per game this season before suffering the injury.

Senior Youri Fritz has shouldered the load since the squad lost Pratt, averaging 12.9 points over eight contests. He got his senior year underway with five straight double-digit scoring performances, including pouring in 21 points on the road against Colgate. A 6-9 force on the boards, Fritz is grabbing 5.9 rebounds per game. Fritz did not appear in the Huskies' most recent contest against Central Connecticut State.

Junior William Kermoury provides a threat on the perimeter. Against Central Connecticut State, Kermoury knocked down 6-of-12 (.500) from 3-point range for a career-high 18 points.

Bill Coen is the leader for Northeastern, in his 20^th season as head coach of the Huskies. Coen's 303 wins make him the all-time winningest coach at both Northeastern and in the Coastal Athletic Association. The coaching veteran has taken the Huskies to two NCAA Tournaments, once in 2015 and again in 2019, after securing the CAA's automatic bid by winning the conference tournament. Prior to his time at Northeastern, Coen was an assistant coach at Boston College and Rhode Island.

Series History
The Orange and Huskies have met nine times before, with Syracuse winning each of those matchups. Coen has coached in five of those losses while this will be Adrian Autry's first time serving as head coach in the series.

Syracuse won the last game between the two programs, 76-48, behind 21 points from Joseph Girard on November 19, 2022.

Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kiyan Anthony

Nate Kingz

William Kyle III

J.J. Starling

Sadiq White Jr.

Syracuse University Athletics