Syracuse @ Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 4, 2017 ) Virginia 62, Syracuse 66

Virginia once again is among the top defensive teams in the country and may be coming off its top defensive effort of the season. After holding the defending national champions to 49 points, the third-ranked Cavaliers aim to suffocate visiting Syracuse on Tuesday.

North Carolina made only 16 baskets, compared to 19 turnovers, and had virtually no answers for the Cavaliers' defense, which is allowing 52.5 points per game, tops in the nation. "I told (Virginia coach Tony Bennett) that's about as good a defensive game as anybody has played against us, maybe ever, but definitely in a long time," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. Syracuse is coming off a two-point loss against Notre Dame, allowing a follow-up bucket with 2.6 seconds left to fall to 2-3 since opening the season with 11 wins in 12 games. "We've got to make a decision as a team," point guard Frank Howard said. "We got comfortable and you can just see that in our play. We're not going after the ball. We don't have that chip on our shoulder. We're going to lose if we play like that."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ACC Network

ABOUT SYRACUSE (12-4, 1-2 ACC): The Orange have not scored more than 68 points in any of their last five games, and only three players on the team scored more than four points against Notre Dame. Tyus Battle (21 points) led the way versus the Fighting Irish, while Howard and Oshae Brissett combined for 20 points on 7-of-24 shooting. Brissett's shooting percentage is down to 33.5 percent, although the freshman forward does have eight double-doubles on the season.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (14-1, 3-0): The Cavaliers are led by a trio of 3-point shooters - Kyle Guy, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome, all of whom shoot at least 44.1 percent from 3-point range. Guy, the team's top scorer at 14.9 points per game, had made multiple 3-pointers in seven straight games before going 1-of-6 from long range against North Carolina. Hall registered a team-high 16 points on 4-of-4 3-point shooting and had a season-high seven assists, while Jerome made a pair of 3s, giving him 16 over the last five games.

TIP-INS

1. Virginia F Isaiah Wilkins has 12 blocks over the last four games.

2. In last season's matchup, Syracuse overcame a 12-point deficit at halftime to upset Virginia, 66-62 at the Carrier Dome.

3. In the last 10 games, Battle has played 407 of a possible 410 minutes.

PREDICTION: Virginia 55, Syracuse 47