Syracuse Basketball: Toughest Matchup for Each Projected Starter in 2014-15

The Syracuse basketball team is less than a week away from its first competitive action. While Sunday's game against Carleton University is only an exhibition, it will be a tough test for a young Syracuse squad.

In fact, Carleton led Syracuse by 17 at home last year before the Orange won in overtime. Head coach Jim Boeheim told Mike Waters of Syracuse.com that this game will be good for his players because "they'll play somebody that could beat them easily."

Carleton will be a tough matchup for the Orange, but it will by no means be as difficult as some of the games that actually count.

Syracuse's schedule is tough again this year. Each game will be difficult for certain players based on their individual matchups.

Let's take a look at a player who could give each projected starter a tough time this season.

Kaleb Joseph: Marcus Paige of UNC

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Syracuse will again be rolling out a new point guard. This year, it will be Kaleb Joseph, who looks to be almost the polar opposite of Tyler Ennis.

While Ennis was a methodical player, Joseph seems like more of an attacking player who uses his athleticism and quickness to go at the defense off the dribble. He could give a lot of opponents trouble, but one player who could get the best of Joseph is Marcus Paige of North Carolina.

Paige is entering this season with high expectations. He was recently named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year by the media. In addition, the voters put Paige on the preseason All-ACC team.

Those accolades aren't unwarranted. In his sophomore season, Paige averaged 17.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Paige now has some capable running mates, including Kennedy Meeks, J.P. Tokoto and freshman Theo Pinson, so the point guard's scoring may go down, but his assists will go up.

Like Ennis, Paige is a patient player who looks for the best play instead of the first play. He could use Joseph's aggressiveness against him if Joseph tries to go for too many steals.

Going against a Player of the Year candidate would be difficult for any player, but it will be especially difficult for the young and aggressive Joseph.

If Paige is able to navigate the zone, he and the Tar Heels could have a big day. Since Syracuse only plays North Carolina on the road this year, it will be that much harder on Joseph.

Trevor Cooney: Malcolm Brogdon of Virginia

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Trevor Cooney is going to have to shoulder the offensive load for the Orange, especially early on. While he may be able to do so against most opponents, Malcolm Brogdon and Virginia are bound to give the Orange a difficult time.

Syracuse has the advantage of playing Virginia at home this year, but the Cavaliers are a tough defensive team and defense travels better than offense.

Brogdon was one of Virginia's best defenders last year and is coming off a second-team All-ACC berth.

Brogdon will be able to use his 6'5", 250-pound frame to muscle Cooney off the three-point line. Brogdon also has the athleticism to stay in front of Cooney should the Syracuse shooting guard try to attack off the dribble.

If Brogdon is able to shut Cooney down, the Orange offense could sputter against Virginia again this year.

Tyler Roberson: JayVaughn Pinkston of Villanova

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Tyler Roberson will see a vastly increased role in his sophomore season, and he will have to adjust quickly. If Syracuse ends up facing Texas in the 2K Classic, Roberson will have a tough matchup against highly touted freshman Myles Turner.

But one other early-season game could provide Roberson's toughest matchup. That would be against JayVaughn Pinkston and Villanova.

Not only will Roberson be matched up with a good player, it will be in a tough road environment, which is always difficult for a young player.

Pinkston, a senior, also has an edge in experience. Last year, Pinkston put up 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds a night. Now he's going to be one of the go-to players for Jay Wright, so those numbers will likely increase.

Pinkston has a complete offensive game, able to score from inside and on the perimeter. His array of moves could keep Roberson on his heels, giving Pinkston a significant advantage. In addition, Roberson hasn't displayed much of an offensive game, making it easier for Pinkston to win at the other end as well.

Roberson struggled on defense last year, so he will have to make big strides to be able to stay on the floor. A matchup with Pinkston could force Jim Boeheim to call on Michael Gbinije off the bench.

Chris McCullough: Amile Jefferson of Duke

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This matchup could come down to experience.

Amile Jefferson, a junior forward for Duke, could use his experience to get the best of freshman Chris McCullough. On a Duke team loaded with freshmen, Jefferson is going to be one of the more experienced weapons for Mike Krzyzewski.

Jefferson found himself in foul trouble in both games against Syracuse last year, but some of the calls against him were suspect at best. He was also trying to deal with C.J. Fair and Jerami Grant, who were two of Syracuse's best players.

We don't yet know what McCullough will bring to the Orange. He has plenty of athleticism, but his offensive repertoire has yet to be explored.

He will also be learning the 2-3 zone as he goes, so there are chances he could break down on defense against Jefferson.

Rakeem Christmas will have his hands full with Jahlil Okafor in the middle, so McCullough will be afforded little help against Jefferson. In general, Duke will be a tough matchup for Syracuse, but Jefferson in particular could cause trouble for the young McCullough.

Rakeem Christmas: Montrezl Harrell of Louisville

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Rakeem Christmas is primed to have his most effective season at Syracuse, but he will have his hands full with Montrezl Harrell of Louisville.

The tale of the tape shows Christmas has the size advantage over Harrell. Syracuse's roster lists Christmas at 6'9" and 250 pounds, while the Louisville roster lists Harrell at 6'8" and 240 pounds. But Harrell has an advantage in strength inside and athleticism.

In 2013-14, Harrell averaged 14 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Christmas will probably improve on his numbers from last year (5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game), but he likely won't sniff the numbers Harrell put up last year.

Now Harrell is one year older and one year stronger, so he will give Christmas all he can handle.

The biggest advantage Harrell will enjoy over Christmas is on the glass. Harrell is a powerful player, whereas Christmas uses more finesse and tries to out-jump his opposition instead of pushing them out of the way.

Harrell could use his strength to push Christmas out of the paint for rebounds or under the basket on post-ups.

A matchup with Harrell shapes up as one where Christmas could find himself in foul trouble trying to handle the big man. If Harrell owns the paint, Syracuse could have a long day against Louisville.