Syracuse Falls to Georgetown, Time to Panic?

Georgetown has done it again.  They dismantled UConn when the Huskies were sailing along, and have now added Syracuse to the scrap heap rolling over the Orange 88-74 on Wednesday night. 

The battle begun with both teams being ranked in the top 15 for the first time since 2001, and finished with only one team looking like they truly belonged there.  However, Syracuse fans should focus on the bright-side rather than dwell upon an upsetting defeat.

Syracuse suffered a scare when Andy Rautins appeared to have injured the same knee that left him on the bench for all of last season.  However, the post-game prognoses seems to be positive, and Rautins isn't expected to miss any time and should be back on the court for the Notre Dame game this weekend.

Losing Rautins would be a tremendous blow to this Syracuse squad.  After Eric Devendorf sat out with a brief suspension earlier this year Rautins was inserted into the starting line-up and has been on fire ever since.  Defeating Georgetown with Rautins would be a difficult task for Syracuse, without Rautins, Syracuse's primary outside threat, the likelihood of a comeback after a fast start by Georgetown became all the less likely.

Syracuse fans can, however, take solace in the fact that the Georgetown they faced last night isn't likely to show it's face again.  Georgetown is at best an average shooting team from three point land, featuring only one deep threat that hits over 37% from three point land, but last night Georgetown was hitting at an amazing 57% clip.  Part of the blame lies with a Syracuse defensive effort that was lackluster at best, but regardless this is a Georgetown team that won't see too many days over 40% from outside.

In the end, Syracuse fans are probably wary of a collapse and the dreaded bubble tag being placed upon them again, but in the Big East, a conference that goes 10 deep with NCAA tournament contenders, a loss like this is to be expected from time to time.  As long as they don't pile up, Syracuse should be fine.

The biggest concern right now, bigger than the loss to Georgetown, is the poor free throw shooting that has plagued the Orange.  If they make some last night, the margin in defeat would be substantially less, and the momentum shifts in the game could have been handled better.  Can Syracuse improve upon their woeful shooting from the foul line?  That's probably the biggest question this team has to answer right now. 

If they don't improve, it could mean a difficult time protecting leads and a harder time building them.

Ultimately, with a healthy Andy Rautins, and a vastly improved Rick Jackson at the power forward slot, Syracuse seems primed to compete almost every night even if they didn't yesterday.