Syracuse Basketball: Continued Interior Scoring Key for Orange to Beat Michigan

Syracuse can earn a marquee nonconference win against Michigan if it simply plays the game it's capable of playing.

While the Orange are 5-1 to start the season, there are plenty of questions about how they will fare against top opponents going forward. The win over Iowa was solid, but they were barely competitive on a neutral floor against California.

Even the dominant victories over teams like Holy Cross and Loyola featured plenty of issues, including high turnover rates and poor outside shooting. The most recent victory saw the squad miss all 14 of its shots from beyond the arc.

As Seth Greenberg of ESPN notes, this is a major difference in the upcoming matchup:

Although this would be concerning in most cases, this surprisingly plays right into Syracuse's hands. The team doesn't need to even think about its outside shooting when its interior scoring can be enough to beat the Wolverines.

The stars for Syracuse through the first few weeks of the season have undoubtedly been Rakeem Christmas and Chris McCullough.

One is a senior who never averaged more than six points per game, and the other is a freshman who many thought was too raw to contribute right away.

	Christmas/McCullough	All Other Players
Points/Game	32.8	37.4
Rebounds/Game	17.5	25.7
Shooting %	57	37.1

Despite limited expectations, the duo has been outstanding while combining to average 32.8 points, 17.5 rebounds and 4.8 blocks per game. 

Christmas' improved play has been one of the top storylines across college basketball, as he has found a way to be aggressive around the rim while still being an efficient scorer. KenPom.com (subscription required) lists him fifth in the nation in the Player of the Year standings.

The transformation into becoming a go-to option offensively has seemingly been according to plan for head coach Jim Boeheim.

"I was just getting the ball in the post,'' Christmas explained after scoring a career-high 25 points in the win over Holy Cross. ''Coach said if they weren't doubling me, just go to the rim, and that's what I was doing. Just went up with it.''

Meanwhile, McCullough has been just as impressive while turning himself into a legitimate NBA prospect. He currently ranks No. 11 on the 2015 NBA draft board, according to ESPN's Chad Ford, who apparently has seen some backlash from fans recently:

With the way he has played recently, the Orange faithful might have to just start hoping for as much production as possible this year before he moves on to the next level.

This duo's strength, athleticism and skill level inside should be exactly what the team relies on against Michigan.

While the Wolverines do have plenty of talent, the biggest weakness is the interior defense. After losing Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan, Jon Horford and Glenn Robinson III from last year's team, the squad is left without much experience in the frontcourt.

Freshmen Mark Donnal and Ricky Doyle have improved since the start of the year along with junior Max Bielfeldt, but this group is still below average when it comes to protecting the rim. Skill level aside, none of these players have the size or athleticism necessary to affect shots inside.

California's 6'10" forward David Kravish helped limit Christmas to just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting in Syracuse's only loss of the season. Unfortunately, no one on Michigan has the length or the experience of the Bears senior.

USA TODAY Sports

Against the Wolverines, Syracuse has to keep giving the ball to Christmas and McCullough and let the duo take as many shots as possible. There is no reason these two players shouldn't combine for at least 40 points in the matchup.

It is always fun watching Trevor Cooney chuck up shots while Kaleb Joseph also tries to create for himself, but every outside shot will be a step toward a loss.

As for the defense, Michigan's outside shooting will be limited by a 2-3 zone that is much more aggressive than most. The idea of shooting over the defense won't work against a unit that currently ranks 31st in the nation in opponent three-point percentage and seventh in overall shooting percentage.

KenPom.com rates the Orange as the No. 5 most efficient defense in the nation to start the year.

Assuming this is able to continue against the slashing and shooting of the Wolverines, the only question is whether the offense can get the points it needs to win. As long as the players feed the post and utilize its biggest advantage, Syracuse should be able to earn a tough victory on the road.

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