Syracuse vs. UConn: 5 Things We Learned from Syracuse Win

Following an 85-67 win over Connecticut, Syracuse remains undefeated at home this season.

These teams now appear to be on divergent paths, with No. 2 Syracuse likely to grab a one seed this March and UConn unsure of their ability to get to the Tournament at all.

Here's a look at five things we learned as the Orange triumphed over the Huskies:

The Orange Improved on the Boards

Zone defenses tend to struggle with rebounds since each player is covering an area rather than a man.

And Syracuse is no exception. They have gotten clobbered off the boards all season.

In their last game, Big East rival Georgetown destroyed the Orange off the glass, beating them 52-35.

The win was Jim Boeheim's record-breaking 880th, making him the coach with the most wins at any one Division I school.

Despite that, Boeheim was none too happy with the victory, berating his team for their poor showing off the glass.

"There's just no excuse for us to rebound the ball the way we rebounded tonight. It's just not championship level. We just won't win if we can't rebound better than that. Period."

But today, 'Cuse won the rebound battle 27-24.

If they can beat their opponents in the rebound battle, or at least keep the deficit off the glass close, they can go deep in the Tournament.

UConn Confidence Unshaken

UConn's confidence does not look like it has faltered despite the team's struggles.

Heading into this game, UConn had lost five of its last six games, slipping to 15-8 after a 14-3 start. They had been blown out by Louisville in their last game.

The defending National Champions were also playing their third straight game without legendary coach Jim Calhoun, who is on indefinite medical leave due to back problems.

Despite their baggage, UConn kept their chins up on the road, playing a physical, scrappy game of basketball in the Carrier Dome.

The Huskies kept Syracuse on their toes, remaining within striking distance until late in the second half.

And Connecticut has every reason to remain confident.

They were here just last season, losing Calhoun for a few games due to health concerns and ending the season by dropping four of their last five.

That Connecticut team went on to win five in a row to snag the Big East crown and then followed up that performance with a championship run through the Big Dance.

Questions Linger on James Southerland

Syracuse needs a guy to spark the offense by lighting up shots off the bench, and James Southerland had been that guy, demonstrating brilliant shooting before Big East play commenced.

But since the season transitioned to conference play, Southerland has cooled off.

He has even struggled against the weaker Big East teams, shooting 3-8 against St. John's.

Jim Boeheim seems to have lost confidence in Southerland, whose playing time has decreased as his missed shots have increased.

Today, he attempted three shots from three-point range and sunk one.

The Orange will need Southerland's game to heat up again in time for the Tournament. 

'Cuse Flaunts Its Depth

The depth of this Syracuse team means that they lack a clear go-to guy. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. 

After Kris Joseph knocked down the game-winning overtime three to edge out rival Georgetown, it seemed like he may be that guy for 'Cuse.

But today, Scoop Jardine played that part.

UConn whittled away at the Orange lead in the second half. With 6:28 to go in the game, the Huskies inched within a bucket of tying it.

But Scoop stepped up, banging in back-to-back threes to spark a 22-6 run by the Orange that finished out the game. Scoop wound up with 21 points today.

Making a further case for the depth of this team were Dion Waiters, Kris Joseph and C.J. Fair, who scored 18, 15 and 14 points respectively.

As 'Cuse fans continue to speculate about who they can trust most to come up big in the clutch, the answer is: just about anybody.

UConn Tends to Live and Die with Jeremy Lamb

When Jeremy Lamb gets tripped up, the Huskies suffer.

UConn has won all but one game in which his field goal percentage is over .500.

Today, Syracuse's zone did a good job containing Lamb, allowing him to go just 6-15 from the field.

Lamb will have to step it up late in the season if the Huskies want to make the NCAA Tournament.