5 takeaways from Syracuse’s loss at Tennessee

The Orange were outscored by No. 3 Tennessee, getting blown out in the second half in a 96-70 loss. Here are five takeaways from the game:

The Orange were outclassed athletically in the game, as the Volunteers sent wave after wave of long, bouncy athletes who dominated inside. Tennessee was credited with a half-dozen dunks to go along with ten layups while five different players grabbed at least six rebounds. In comparison, SU had three dunks and six layups while Chris Bell and Jyare Davis led them with five rebounds each.

All those easy scores highlighted the struggles of Syracuse’s defense. Tennessee’s 96 points came on 68 possessions, or 1.41 points per possession, including 51 points on 32 chances in the second half, or a brutal 1.59 points per possession.

Elijah Moore kept the Orange afloat in the first half, coming off the bench to score a dozen points. Moore played seven minutes in less than three minutes shortly after entering the game to keep Syracuse in the Vols’ hip pocket. The freshman shooting guard is expected to be promoted to the starting lineup for Saturday’s game at Notre Dame. His scoring ability and emotional play before the game gets out of hand are two things this team needs with JJ Starling on the board.

SU entered the game as one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country. Tennessee finished the contest with an offensive rebounding rate of 38.2 percent, nearly double what Syracuse had allowed this season.

This team needs a more structured offense. Players’ best assets are not leveraged to generate easier looks, and without a cohesive plan, the team stagnates and relies on individual play with little off-ball movement.

Jaquan Carlos was able to create switches on drives and exploit a willing defense that was collapsing to give Chris Bell two open looks at the corner 3 early in the game. This never happened again.

Eddie Lampkin Jr. is a gifted passer, but his teammates don’t get open or even try to cut more often than not.

Donnie Freeman fell to 3 of 18 from 3-point range this season. Perhaps simplifying his offensive role by reducing and posting opportunities will help him develop his success and confidence before expanding his offensive responsibilities.

All of this combines to be a huge problem for the Orange offense.

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