The Syracuse Orange stunned the Miami Hurricanes, 72-69, on a buzzer-beater three-pointer from sophomore guard Quadir Copeland, improving Syracuse’s record to 13-5.
A total of 10 players finished in double figures, five of which for the Orange. Syracuse guard JJ Starling shined, hitting six shots from beyond the arc in his best shooting performance of the season.
Miami’s Matthew Cleveland led the way for the Hurricanes, finishing with a double-double (16pts, 12reb), and guard Nijel Pack led Miami in scoring with 19 points.
Takeaway #1: Quadir Copeland continues to make an irreplaceable impact
If there was an award for Sixth Man of the Year in the ACC, it belongs to Quadir Copeland.
The Syracuse Orange sophomore has come off the bench for all but one game this season and has provided a well-needed spark to the Orange offense. QC, as he is affectionately called by his teammates, started the season as a “locker room guy” and has blossomed into one of this team’s essential pieces.
This season has seen its ups and downs. One of the biggest critiques Copeland has received is that he tends to force plays rather than letting them develop, something that comes with maturity and experience. QC is a member of a loaded sophomore class that makes up the vast majority of this Syracuse team. While the criticism is fair and sometimes warranted, it’s also hard to find a critic that doesn’t genuinely like the guy.
Copeland completed his redemption arc, becoming the hero in Saturday’s win.
There were 18 seconds on the clock, game tied at 69. Head coach Adrian Autry drew up a play for Judah Mintz, putting the game in the hands of their best player. After some off-ball movement, the plan was to free up the right side of the court so that Mintz had a clear lane. Copeland said his job was to crash the basket and then clear out to the left wing, which he did. When the play blew up, Mintz threw the ball across his body to a wide-open Quadir Copeland and QC let it fly over the outstretched hand of Miami guard Bensley Joseph.
And Copeland nailed it as the time expired.
Time and time again, Copeland continues to prove the critics wrong (myself included). This recent stretch of games has proven that QC can impact a game in multiple ways, and he can do it consistently.
This is my official apology for doubting Quadir Copeland.
Takeaway #2: Syracuse may have found their shooter
During my appearance on the CBB Review Studio LIVE Podcast, I said that Syracuse is a consistent shot-maker away from being a contender in the ACC. They attack the basket well, but spreading the floor is a concept that eludes the Orange at times this season.
JJ Starling might just be the guy that opens it up for the entire team.
The beginning of the season saw the sophomore Notre Dame transfer struggle shooting the rock, going 1-for-18 from beyond the arc in his first seven games. He made a huge impact rebounding and distributing, as well as complimenting Mintz’s finishing with an elite layup package of his own. But having two slashing guards in the backcourt made setting up shooters on the wing difficult.
The Syracuse Orange offense was a contradiction. How do you open up opportunities for shooters? Move the ball inside-out through the post. How do you open up opportunities for rim-attacking guards? You clear the middle and run on the perimeter. You can only drive-and-kick so many times over the course of 40 minutes, and neither Mintz nor Starling are elite shot-creators from deep.
On Saturday Mintz embraced the role of distributor and finished with 13 assists, setting up his teammates to hit a team-total 12 three-pointers. SIX of those threes came from Starling, and he captivated the crowd each and every time the shot left his hand.
In addition to adding a shooter, Starling’s ability to score at all levels will inevitably open up opportunities for Chris Bell and Justin Taylor. Defenders will have to close out on him more, opening up driving lanes. That will allow him to kick to the wing, giving Bell a chance to thrive and for Taylor to break out of his slump. Mintz can also hit an open three, so we may see him as more of a deep threat if Starling can keep up this level of production.
Starling’s success directly impacts Syracuse’s season.
Takeaway #3: Miami felt the effects of the Loud House, and severely missed Norchad Omier
Omier was seen pregame wearing a Miami long sleeve shirt and sweats, not participating in warmups. Syracuse.com writer Mike Waters first reported that Omier was not playing, something a Syracuse Orange team with center issues was eager to hear.
Omier is one of the nation’s most dominant rebounders and post players, averaging 17.2 points and 9.6 boards. Syracuse center Naheem McLeod, one of the nation’s best shot blockers, has been out for a few games with a lower body injury with no timetable to return. Maliq Brown is a capable center and a threat defensively, but his size can lead to issues in the post. Omier’s absence turned the tables and gave Syracuse a huge advantage down low.
Miami played a great game, let’s not forget the success the team had. The Hurricanes shot just under 50% from the field, over 34% from beyond the arc, and only turned the ball over 12 times. Toward the end of the game, though, the packed JMA Dome crowd started to affect Miami and they started to miss shots in critical moments.
Syracuse capitalized and picked up their best win of the season.
Miami falls to 12-6 on the season, 3-4 in ACC play. Syracuse improves to 13-5 and is now tied for 6th in the conference.
Next up for Miami: at Notre Dame (Wed., Jan. 24 – 7 p.m.)
Next up for Syracuse: vs. Florida State (Tues., Jan. 23 – 7 p.m.)