Syracuse vs. Marquette: Key Storylines to Watch in Elite 8 Matchup

When Syracuse and Marquette meet up for the final time as members of the Big East, things are sure to get intense. 

The inter-conference rivals played once during the regular season. The Golden Eagles walked away with a hard-fought 74-71 win at home.

As physical and intense as the regular season matchup was, the stakes are sure to up the ante. The winner will not only have final bragging rights in the conference, but they'll add a final four appearance to their resume and come within two games of a national championship.

Here are the keys to watch when these two take the court to determine who goes home and who gets closer to cutting down the nets in 2013. 

Can Marquette Shoot From Long Range?

Syracuse's 2-3 zone poses big problems for just about any offense. 

Its ability to pack things in on the inside forces you to beat it with outside shooting. Although the Golden Eagles picked up the win in the regular season, they shot a horrendous 5-of-21 from deep. 

Fortunately for Buzz Williams, they had a reasonable amount of success getting the ball to the inside. However, the Orange are fresh off of a dominant defensive performance against Indiana in which they held the Hoosiers to just 50 points.

Even the highly regarded Tyler Zeller could only score 10 points. 

Marquette went 3-of-6 from downtown against Miami in the Sweet 16. However, when forced to shoot more by the likes of Davidson they went a paltry 4-of-15 from deep. If they want to beat Syracuse this time around, they must shoot better than that. 

Can Michael Carter-Williams Keep Things Rolling?

The Orange couldn't have pulled off their Sweet 16 upset of the No. 1 seed Indiana Hoosiers without the massive performance they received from Michael Carter-Williams. 

The 6'6" sophomore filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, six rebounds, four steals and block. That's the kind of performance that brings back memories of Carmelo Anthony's run to the Final Four with Syracuse. 

This game will be all about which team can get into the paint and convert on those opportunities inside. Carter-Williams' abilities to get inside and finish on drives could be crucial for the Orange. 

Carter-Williams had 14 points in the Orange's regular-season loss to the Golden Eagles. If he goes for around 20 this time around Syracuse will be in a good position to win. 

Can Marquette Close Out Once Again?

Marquette hasn't looked the best at times in the tournament. They were nearly upset by Davidson in the first round. However, few teams have been better at coming through in the clutch. 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Marquette entered the Sweet 16 game against Miami with an impressive track record in close games. 

As the field narrows, the games are only going to get more hotly contested. These two teams have already had a game that went down to the wire once and Marquette came out on top. Syracuse has dominated its run through the bracket thus far, but that could actually haunt them. 

The Golden Eagles are the team with more experience pulling out the close ones. Which of these teams is more likely to hit the big shots they need down the stretch?