Syracuse @ Virginia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 7, 2020 ) Virginia Tech 67, Syracuse 63

For the second time this month, Virginia Tech and Syracuse will square off Saturday when the Hokies play host to the Orange. Virginia Tech stole a road win against Syracuse on Jan. 7 thanks to Jalen Cone's career-high 19 points -- a performance that the freshman guard has carried over into the last two games.

Cone followed up his 19-point effort against Syracuse by scoring 10 points against North Carolina State and 15 points versus Wake Forest, helping the Hokies win all three games as they've improved to 7-1 in their last eight outings. "He can shoot it, he can really shoot it," coach Mike Young said after the first game against the Orange in reference to Cone, who is 11-of-17 from 3-point land during the current three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Syracuse rebounded from the loss to Virginia Tech by defeating defending national champion Virginia on the road, and then followed up that triumph by topping Boston College by 26 in its last outing. "We just need to focus a little better at home and win here. It's frustrating, 100%, not defending your home court. You want to win every single game at home," said Orange forward Marek Dolezaj, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win.

TIME: Noon ET. TV: RSN

ABOUT SYRACUSE (10-7, 3-3 ACC): The Orange have given up an average of 52.5 points in their last two games despite one of those contests going to overtime. They limited the Eagles to 32.8 percent shooting and forced them into missing 24 of their 30 3-pointers, not to mention outrebounding BC 40-28 in a dominant overall effort. Buddy Boeheim led the way with 22 points on 4-of-7 shooting from long range, while Elijah Hughes (19 points) and Joe Girard III (12 points) joined Boeheim and Dolezaj in double figures.

ABOUT VIRGINIA TECH (13-4, 4-2): The Hokies rode 21 points apiece from Landers Nolley II and Tyrece Radford in their recent win over Wake Forest while Cone and Nahiem Alleyne (10 points in 18 minutes) gave the team a lift off the bench. Nolley is by far the team's best offensive option with an average of 18.1 points -- nobody else averages more than Radford's 9.2 points per game -- and Nolley also is the team leader (by 18) with 48 3-pointers on the year. Radford is 19-of-24 from the field in the last four games and has averaged 10.3 rebounds per game over the last three outings despite standing just 6-2, 195 pounds.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nolley has scored in double figures in 15 of the Hokies' 17 games.

2. Syracuse's top three players - Hughes, Boeheim and Girard - combined to shoot 14-of-39 from the floor in the first matchup.

3. Boeheim has made multiple 3-pointers in each of the last nine games.

PREDICTION: Virginia Tech 82, Syracuse 67