SU Seeks Best Start In Program History

Tickets | Live audio | Live Stats | Game Notes

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - At 21-1 and 8-1 in the conference, #3/4 Syracuse seeks the best start in school history on Tuesday, Feb. 2 when it hosts Providence (12-9, 4-5) at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The Orange was 21-1 only one other time in its history (1979-80), but has never won 22 of its first 23 games to begin a season.

Tickets for the game are available online, by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) or in person at the Carrier Dome Box office. The game will be televised live on the BIG EAST Network. Fans can also listen to the action via the Syracuse ISP Radio Network and its flagship TK 99 (99.5 FM). The audio stream of the radio broadcast will be available on SUathletics.com as part of Orange All-Access.

ABOUT THE ORANGE

Syracuse moved up one spot in the Associated Press national rankings this week. The Orange is third behind Kansas and Villanova. It's the team's highest listing in the AP poll since Nov. 29, 2004 when Syracuse was also third. The Orange maintained its No. 4 position in this week's ESPN/USA Today poll.

The Orange is ranked in the top 10 nationally is seven statistical categories and leads the country in winning percentage (.955) and field-goal percentage (.529). Syracuse carries an eight-game winning streak into Tuesday's game against the Friars.

The Orange survived a tough road test Saturday at DePaul to keep the winning streak intact. Syracuse trailed the Blue Demons by 18 in the first half, but fought back to record a 59-57 win at Allstate Arena. Junior forward Wes Johnson and sophomore forward Kris Joseph combined for 31 points in the win. Johnson led the team with 16 points and Joseph finished with 15. Johnson also paced the Orange with 13 rebounds to record his 10th double-double of the year.

JOHNSON AVERAGING A CONFERENCE DOUBLE-DOUBLE

In addition to his scoring totals, Johnson has been a force on glass since the start of conference play. He is averaging a double-double 17.3 points and 10.9 rebounds against league opponents. Overall, he leads the team in both categories at 17.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest. His 10.9 boards per game in conference play is the second-best mark in the BIG EAST.

JOSEPH TURNING IT ON

Saturday's showing against DePaul was the latest in string of solid performances for Joseph. He's scored at least 14 points in SU's last three games and he's averaging 14.7 points per game in that stretch. He's also averaging 32.7 minutes played per game during that span. Joseph's 15-point outburst against the Blue Demons was one shy of his career best (16 points vs. St. Bonaventure) earlier this season.

SCOUTING THE FRIARS

The Friars lost a 92-88 decision Saturday at Cincinnati in their most recent outing. Providence was coming off its biggest win of the season, an 81-66 drubbing of No. 19 Connecticut before losing to the Bearcats. They are 12-9 overall and 4-5 in the BIG EAST. Providence is currently tied with four teams for eighth in the league standings.

Despite their position in the conference, the Friars are one of the most explosive teams in the BIG EAST. Providence is second in the league in scoring (83.2 ppg) and first in rebounding (41.8 rpg). The Friars have scored 100 points three times this year, including a season-best 110 in a win against George Washington.

Sophomore forward Jamine Peterson has been a force for the Friars. He's averaging 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He ranks seventh and sixth, respectively, in the BIG EAST in those categories. Peterson scored 29 points and had 20 rebounds in a Jan. 9 win against Rutgers. He also collected 22 boards against Mercer early in the year, the third-highest total in Division I this season.

Senior guard Sharaud Curry is second on the squad at 15.5 points per outing. He's been even better in BIG EAST action, averaging 18.9 points a game versus conference opponents. Curry's scored 1,450 points in his Providence career, the 13th-best total in school history.

Freshmen Vincent Council (9.0 ppg), Bilal Dixon (8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and senior Brian McKenzie (6.1 ppg) round out Providence's likely starting five. Junior Marshon Brooks has also been a solid contributor. He's averaging 14.8 points this season and leads the club with 32 steals. Dixon has a team-best 45 blocks.

Keno Davis is in his second year as the Providence head coach. He guided the Friars to a 19-14 record a year ago after taking the head coaching reigns from former Orange assistant coach Tim Welsh. Prior to joining the Friars, Davis went 28-5 in one season as the head coach at Drake, leading the club to a berth in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

THE SERIES

SU has a 41-10 advantage in the overall series with Providence and a 17-3 record in games played in Syracuse. The Orange has won seven of the last nine meetings with the Friars, but the Providence got the better of Syracuse a year ago, posting a 100-94 win at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. Syracuse owns the series longest winning streak, emerging victorious 22 straight times from 1980-1989.

Syracuse University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos