SU Battles Wolverines in National Semis

Syracuse vs. Michigan
Game Details	Saturday, April 6 \| Atlanta, Ga. \| 8:49 p.m. Georgia Dome
Game Coverage	TV: CBS Radio: Syracuse IMG Radio Network \| TK 99.5 FM Orange All Access: Live Stats \| Tournament Central Interactive Bracket Twitter: @cuse
Syracuse Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule
Michigan Links	Notes \| News \| Roster \| Schedule

ATLANTA – Syracuse tries to take another step toward the national title when it takes on Michigan in the NCAA Final Four on Saturday, April 6. The Orange and Wolverines clash in the second semifinal at approximately 8:49 p.m. Louisville and Wichita State meet in the first semifinal at 6:09 p.m. The winners will face off on Monday, April 8 for the national championship.

The game will be broadcast on CBS. Fans can listen to the action on the Syracuse IMG Radio Network and its flagship TK99 (99.5FM).

ORANGE IN THE FINAL FOUR
Syracuse is making its fifth trip to the Final Four and fourth under the direction of head coach Jim Boeheim. The Orange advanced to the national semifinals for the first time in 1975 where it lost to Kentucky in the semifinals and Louisville in the third-place contest.

Coach Boeheim guided Syracuse to its first title game appearance in 1987. SU defeated Providence, 77-63, in the semifinals before losing to Indiana, 74-73, in the championship game. Nine years later the Orange returned to the national semifinals in 1996 where it beat Mississippi State, 77-69. Kentucky defeated SU in the final, 76-67.

Led by freshman Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse was crowned national champions in 2003 in the Superdome in New Orleans. SU defeated Texas, 95-84, in the semifinals and beat Kansas, 81-78, in the finals for the school's first national title.

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ORANGE
Syracuse enters Saturday's game with a record of 30-9. The Orange, the No. 4 seed in the East, defeated top-seed Indiana, 61-50, in the Sweet 16 and No. 3 seed Marquette, 55-39, in the Elite Eight to advance to its fifth Final Four.

SU has featured a balanced scoring attack throughout the tournament. Junior C.J. Fair is the Orange's leading scorer, averaging 13.8 points per game, while sophomore Michael Carter-Williams is right behind with 13.0 points per contest. Senior Brandon Triche (12.8), freshman DaJuan Coleman (12.0) and senior James Southerland (11.0) are Syracuse's other double-digit scorers. Fair is also averaging 6.0 rebounds per game, and Carter-Williams has dished out 19 assists in the four games.

The Orange's tournament opponents are shooting just .289 from the field, including .154 from three-point range, and averaging 45.8 points per game. Syracuse is the first team in the "shot clock era" to hold three opponents under 50 points during the NCAA Tournament. SU's four opponents have committed more turnovers (67) than made field goals (61).

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan, the No. 4 seed in the South, is 30-7 this season. The Wolverines came from behind to beat Kansas, 87-85, in the round of 16 before defeating No. 3 seed Florida, 79-59 in the round of eight to earn their spot in the Final Four.

The Wolverines are led by Trey Burke, who is a finalist for the Naismith and Wooden National Player of the Year awards as well as the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year trophy. The sophomore guard is averaging 18.8 points to go along with 6.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Next in line is junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who is averaging 14.6 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game. Nik Stauskas (11.5 ppg.) and Glenn Robinson III (11.0 ppg.) complete the set of Michigan's double-digit scorers. Mitch McGary leads Michigan on the boards, pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game. He also has a team-high 25 blocked shots.

John Beilein is in his sixth year at the helm of the Michigan program. He has led the Wolverines to an overall record of 121-84. Before coming to Michigan, Beilein spent five years as head coach at West Virginia, where he guided the Mountaineers to an overall record of 104-60.

THE SERIES
The Orange leads the all-time series against Michigan, 8-5. Syracuse defeated Michigan 53-50 in their last match at the Legends Classic in November 2010. The two teams have never faced off in the NCAA Tournament.

Syracuse University Athletics

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