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Preview: Syracuse vs. Baylor
Syracuse will try to go 3-for-3 in Maui Invitational championships when the No. 7 Orange meet No. 17 Baylor in the title game Wednesday. Syracuse won their previous Maui Invitational titles in 1990 and 1998 and their overall record in the tournament is 8-0. Baylor has the size to cause the Orange some problems up front, especially 6-9 forward Cory Jefferson, who’s especially active around the rim, evidenced by his game-winning putback Tuesday against Dayton.
Trevor Cooney should get plenty of looks from 3-point distance for Syracuse and he’s been taking advantage of his chances so far, shooting 12-for-23 from long range for the tournament. Tyler Ennis had taken 19 free throws in the last two games for the Orange and the freshman’s penetration will put pressure on Jefferson and 7-1 center Isaiah Austin to avoid foul trouble. Baylor could use a bounce-back game from leading scorer Brady Heslip, who missed his only shot and went scoreless in 10 minutes against Dayton.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
ABOUT SYRACUSE (6-0): Both teams have good depth, but the Orange have something Baylor doesn’t and that’s C.J. Fair, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder last season. The 6-8 forward would likely be in the NBA right now if he threw his name in the draft last June, but he decided to give it another year and try to better his stock. Fair has been just as advertised this season, leading the team in scoring again (17.6) while still piling up 6.4 rebounds.
ABOUT BAYLOR (6-0): Baylor outscored Dayton 38-18 in the paint to survive its semifinal. Most of the damage was done by Jefferson and Austin, but Denver transfer Royce O’Neale and Rico Gathers deserve a lot of credit. Gathers, a 6-8, 270-pound forward, averages a rebound for every two minutes of playing time and the 6-6 O’Neale has seen his role increase and has responded by scoring in double figures the last two games.
TIP INS
1. O’Neale is a Texas native who averaged 11.2 points at Denver last season. He was reportedly awarded a hardship waiver so he could play for the Bears immediately and be closer to his ailing grandfather.
2. Baylor’s 11-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the FBS.
3. Syracuse sophomore forward Jerami Grant has scored in double figures in three straight games for the first time in his career.
PREDICTION: Syracuse 81, Baylor 78
