Cornell @ Syracuse preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 1, 2018 ) Cornell 55, Syracuse 63

Joe Girard left quite the impression on the New York high school basketball scene, and it appears that he's going to do the same on the college hoops world. Following a sparkling first start at Syracuse, Girard leads the Orange into Wednesday evening's home game against Cornell.

Girard set the New York State record with a staggering 4,763 career points while at Glens Falls High School, but he began his college career with only eight points on 3-of-12 shooting in the first two games. Coach Jim Boeheim inserted Girard into the lineup for game No. 3 and the 6-1 guard responded with 24 points on 5-of-6 3-point shooting and 7-of-8 shooting overall. "He had to do everything every game for four years," Boeheim said of Girard's high school career. “He’s used to having the whole world on his shoulders every game. He doesn’t have the whole world on his shoulders now." Girard was one of five Orange players to score in double figures the last time out and the team hopes to receive similar scoring depth against Cornell, which is looking to avoid a fourth straight loss.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network+

ABOUT CORNELL (1-3): Jim Boeheim's son Jimmy Boeheim is a junior guard for Cornell averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game with seven 3-pointers - tied for the team lead through four games. Terrance McBride averages 14.5 points and Josh Warren contributes 10.5 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds, plus 4.75 assists - also the best on the squad. Prior to their 21-point loss at DePaul the last time out, the Big Red had dropped consecutive one-point decisions at Bryant and versus NJIT.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (2-1): Double-digit scorers for the Orange against Seattle included Marek Dolezaj (19), Elijah Hughes (15), Quincy Guerrier (14) and Buddy Boeheim (10), but of course the star of the game was Girard. "Joe played great tonight," said Dolezaj, who fell one point shy of his career high. "He’s a freshman but he’s playing like a senior. If he keeps playing like this, he’ll help make us really hard to beat." Guerrier, another freshman, had managed only five points in 26 minutes over the first two games before finding his footing against Seattle.

TIP-INS

1. Hughes has scored 14 or 15 points in all three games and has played all 40 minutes in two of the first three contests.

2. Syracuse led for 38 minutes, 2 seconds of the 40 minutes against Seattle.

3. The Orange have won the last 39 meetings between the teams.

PREDICTION: Syracuse 71, Cornell 67