After two exhibition games, Syracuse begins the 2018-19 regular season on Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome as the Orange welcome Eastern Washington of the Big Sky. SU comes off a 23-18 season that ended at the hands of Duke in the Sweet 16. The Eagles went 20-15 a year ago, with the season ending in their first game at the College Basketball Invitational.

Syracuse and EWU tip off at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the country’s opening night of college basketball. Here’s what you need to know about Eastern Washington.

All-time series: First ever meeting

The Eastern Washington report: EWU just graduated the two winningest seniors in the program’s Division I history, Bogdan Bliznyuk and Sir Washington, who combined to lead the Eagles to 87 wins and four-straight winning seasons in their tenures. Bliznyuk is the Big Sky’s all-time leading scorer (2,169 points), so EWU is replacing a program legend.

Last year’s Eastern Washington team played methodically on offense, ranking 290th in the country  per KenPom.com, and ranked in the top half of the nation in offensive and defensive efficiency. The Eagles return their numbers two through seven top scorers from a season ago, with only Bliznyuk graduating from the top seven.

Jacob Davison, Jack Perry and Cody Benzel all cleared the 41 percent mark from 3-point range a season ago, posing a threat against Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. Mason Peatling and Jesse Hunt, 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-7 Australians, respectively, are the top returning rebounders for the Eagles. When EWU played Washington and Mike Hopkins’ 2-3 zone in its second game last season, the Eagles scored 69 points and lost by 10.

How Syracuse beats Eastern Washington: Rebound and limit open looks. The Orange had a negative rebounding margin in their final exhibition game against Le Moyne, which didn’t feature a player taller than 6-foot-8. The Eagles don’t have any players taller than 6-foot-9. SU struggled with long rebounds on 3-point attempts against Le Moyne, and will have to find ways to limit second chances against EWU.

Odds are, Eastern Washington won’t outscore Syracuse if the Eagles are limited to one shot per possession. But scrambles off offensive rebounds can lead to open 3-pointers, and EWU returns three guys who shot more than 40 percent from beyond the arc. As long as SU plays sound half-court defense and grabs first-shot rebounds, the Orange shouldn’t encounter many problems.

Stat to know: 28.3 percent

The graduated Bliznyuk scored 87.3 percent of EWU’s total points last season. That’s a gaping hole in the scoring of the Eagles that will either have to be picked up this season or threaten to derail Eastern Washington’s streak of four-straight winning seasons.

Kenpom odds: Kenpom.com gives Syracuse a 97 percent chance to beat the Eagles, predicting a score of 80-59.

Player to watch: Jack Perry, guard, No. 11

Perry likely poses the greatest threat to Syracuse’s zone with his shooting, as the Melbourne, Australia-native shot 43.1 percent from downtown as a freshman, including games late in the season where he hit four, five or six 3s. Perry is also the top returning assister for the Eagles, another role that Bliznyuk held that needs to be accounted for. Eastern Washington would need Perry to get hot, or set up his teammates, to hang with the Orange.

Published on November 6, 2018 at 9:15 am

Contact Billy: wmheyen@syr.edu | @Wheyen3