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Syracuse basketball hosts Long Beach State in non-conference showdown

Syracuse (6-0) looks to improve its school record and the nation's longest home winning streak to 27 games Monday when Long Beach State (3-4) visits the Carrier Dome (8 p.m. ET on ESPNU).

By Jared Smith
USA TODAY Sports

The No. 4-ranked Syracuse Orange host the Long Beach St. 49ers Thursday in a non-conference men's basketball contest at the Carrier Dome (8 p.m. ET on ESPN2).

The Orange (6-0) will be looking to extend the school record and nation's longest home winning streak to 27 games, while helping head coach Jim Boeheim move three wins closer to reaching the historic mark of 900.

The 49ers (3-4) are playing their first of two games this week against top-10 programs. On Saturday, Long Beach St. faces the No. 10-ranked Ohio St. Buckeyes.

Syracuse is coming off a dominating 84-48 victory Monday over the visiting Eastern Michigan Eagles. Freshman center DaJuan Coleman scored a game-high and collegiate-best 14 points while freshman forward Jerami Grant added a career-high 11 points.

SU's sophomore guard Michael Carter-Williams leads the nation in assists average (9.5) and is netting 11.5 point per game. Senior forward James Southerland's 16.7 ppg paces the Orange.

Long Beach lost Monday, 64-59, to the Fresno St. Bulldogs. Senior forward James Ennis tallied 23 points and snagged 13 rebounds in the losing effort, which featured the 49ers shooting just 30-percent in the second half.

Last season, behind Big West Player of the Year Casper Ware, who's no longer on the team, Long Beach St. won the Big West Conference crown.

Syracuse projected starting five (class, height, weight):

  1. Michael Carter-Williams (So., 6'6, 185): averaging 11.5 points, 9.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 steals per game.
  2. Brandon Triche (6'4, 205): only Syracuse player to score in double figures in all six games.
  3. C.J. Fair (6'8, 215): averaging 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
  4. Rakeem Christmas (6'9, 242): SU's leading shot blocker (15).
  5. DaJuan Coleman: (6'9, 288): true freshman averaging 16 minutes and 6.8 points, 5.3 rebounds per game.

Bench - James Southerland (Sr., 6'8, 215): shooting 47-percent from behind the 3-point line; Baye Keita (Jr., 6'10, 215): averaging 5.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in just 16.5 minutes per game; Trevor Cooney (Fr., 6'4, 195): has made just four of his 22 attempts from 3-point range; Jerami Grant (Fr., 6'8, 203): scored a collegiate-best 11 points in Monday's victory.

Long Beach's projected starting five:

  1. Michael Caffey (So., 6'0, 170): averaging 11.4 ppg but shooting just 20-percent from behind 3-point arc.
  2. Peter Pappageorge (Sr., 6'0, 175): 49ers' 3-point threat (35-percent), averaging 8.3 ppg.
  3. James Ennis (Sr., 6'6, 190): averaging team-best 16.4 ppg on 45-percent shooting.
  4. Kris Gulley (So., 6'7, 180): started in six games averaging 8.7 points and is team's top rebounder (7.9).
  5. Dan Jennings (Jr., 6'8, 255): started six games and is team's second-leading rebounder (7.0).

Bench - Deng Deng (Fr., 6'6, 176): hasn't started but averaging 17 minutes and 6.6 points per game; Gatete Djuma (Fr., 6'9, 214): has scored just two points in limited playing time; Nick Shepherd (So., 6'9, 218): started two games but played just 6.3 minutes in last four games; Kyle Richardson (Jr., 6'7. 236): started, played 21 minutes and score five point against Fresno State.

Syracuse's next game will be played Saturday against visiting Monmouth.