Saturday, February 27
Syracuse, NY
9:00 p.m.
Syracuse University
vs
Villanova University
ESPN's College GameDay crew will broadcast live from the Carrier Dome on Saturday, Feb. 27.
The Wait Is Over: Syracuse Hosts Villanova Saturday
2/26/2010 4:13:55 PM | Men's Basketball
Live audio | Live Stats | Game Notes
SYRACUSE, N.Y.- A sellout crowd of 34,616 is expected on Saturday, Feb. 27 for the highly-anticipated battle between the top two teams in the BIG EAST - #4/4 Syracuse (26-2, 13-2) and #7/8 Villanova (23-4, 12-3). Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.
Saturday's attendance will be the largest on-campus crowd in NCAA history, eclipsing the 33,633 fans that witnessed Gerry McNamara's final home game at Syracuse on March 5, 2006.
Because of the large crowd, the Carrier Dome gates will open at 7 p.m. All fans with tickets are encouraged to arrive early to avoid traffic delays and large lines at the Dome entrances. All Syracuse University parking lots will open at 5 p.m. Fans who do not have a parking permit (season or individual game) are invited to the use the Skytop parking lot ($10 per car), which will open at 5 p.m. To access the Skytop parking lot, use Rt. 481 and exit at Brighton Ave. All parking areas to the West of the Carrier Dome are permit only.
The game will be televised live on ESPN. 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.
ESPN COLLEGE GAMEDAY
The ESPN College GameDay crew will broadcast live from the Dome prior to the game. Rece Davis, Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and Bob Knight will kick off the day's college basketball coverage at 11 a.m. and later host an hour-long pregame show at 8 p.m.
All Syracuse basketball fans are invited to attend the morning edition of GameDay. Free tickets are available until Friday, Feb. 27. Tickets are available for SU students on a first come, first-served basis at the Schine Student Center Box Office or the Carrier Dome Box office from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students with a ticket should enter the Dome through Gate E (with a valid SU ID) beginning at 8 a.m. on Saturday.
Free general admission tickets for the public are available at the Carrier Dome Box Office (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). Individuals can pick up a maximum of four tickets. Fans with general admission tickets should enter the Dome through Gates A, B, C, J, K, L and M beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 27. Free parking for the morning show is available in the stadium west lots on Raynor, Stadium and Henry Streets. Vehicles must leave the stadium west parking lots immediately following the morning GameDay broadcast.
Tickets for the SU game against Villanova will not be accepted for entry to the Dome for the ESPN GameDay show and GameDay tickets are only valid for the show at 11:00 a.m. Fans with tickets to the Syracuse-Villanova game will be treated to the 8 p.m. live broadcast of College GameDay.
ABOUT THE ORANGE
The Orange enters Saturday's game as the top team in the BIG EAST Conference. With a win over Providence on Tuesday night, Syracuse clinched one of the top four seeds in the BIG EAST Championship, earning a double bye to the tournament quarterfinals. It was also the team's 26th regular-season win, matching the school record.
Junior Rick Jackson and senior Andy Rautins are coming off tremendous performances against Providence. Jackson was 13-of-17 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to record a career-best 28 points against the Friars. Rautins hit a season-he eight three pointers, one shy of the school record (9) that he shares with McNamara, and also finished with 28 points.
Syracuse enters the contest with five players scoring in the double figures. Junior Wes Johnson leads the team at 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. He's followed by Rautins (11.8 ppg), Kris Joseph (11.1 ppg), Arinze Onuaku (10.0 ppg) and Jackson (10.0 ppg).
RAUTINS ON FIRE
Rautins is averaging 27.0 points per game in SU's last two outings. He scored 26 at Georgetown to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career and followed it up with 28 at Providence. He was 13-for-21 (.619) from 3-point range in the two games, increasing his season 3-point shooting percentage to 41 percent.
SCOUTING VILLANOVA
The Wildcats defeated USF, 74-49, on Wednesday night to snap their first two-game losing streak in two years. Villanova was ranked as high as No.2 in the Associated Press Poll before losing games to Connecticut and Pittsburgh.
Senior Scottie Reynolds scored 21 points and Antonio Pena added 14 points to lead the Wildcats past the Bulls. Villanova shot 47.4 percent for the game and out rebounded USF, 34-29.
Three players are averaging double figures for Villanova. Reynolds, a candidate for BIG EAST Player of the Year, leads the team at 19.0 points per game. Corey Fisher averages 13.8 points an outing and Pena is at 11.0 points per game. Pena also leads the team in rebounding (7.5 rpg).
Villanova leads the league in scoring offense, averaging 83.8 points per game. Syracuse is third on that list at 81.2 points a game.
Jay Wright is in his ninth season as head coach at Villanova. He's guided the Wildcats to a 201-95 record during his tenure.
THE SERIES
Syracuse leads the all-time series versus Villanova, 34-30, but the Wildcats have had the recent advantage, winning the last three games against the Orange. The two teams met twice last year and the Wildcats prevailed 102-85 at home on Feb. 7, 2009 and then traveled to the Dome on Feb. 22, 2009 to defeat the Orange, 89-86. The most recent win for Syracuse came during in the 2007-08 season, when the Orange beat the Wildcats, 87-73, at the Wachovia Center.
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