It’s Boeheim Ball vs. Izzo-metrics.

The Syracuse men’s basketball team used Jim Boeheim’s stingy 2-3 defense and maybe a little luck of the Orange to beat TCU 57-52 in an opening-round game of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. As the clock struck midnight in Detroit and it became St. Patrick’s Day, SU put the finishing touches on its win. That set up a second-round game against Michigan State.

Spartans’ coach Tom Izzo, once described by Alabama gridiron icon Nick Saban in a New York Times piece as “a football coach who coaches basketball,” used his attention to detail to throttle Bucknell in the opening round.

The Spartans have lost their last four matchups against the Orange, but did beat them previously in Detroit on the way to the 2000 national title.

Michigan State (30-4) has home cooking on its side again this year in Detroit and great expectations, while Syracuse (22-13) has nothing to lose.

The game pits two Hall of Fame coaches, each seeking another trip to the Sweet 16 and a second national championship.

The tip is set for 2:40 Sunday afternoon and you can catch all the action on 96.9 WOUR The Rock of Central New York and the Mohawk Valley’s Home of Syracuse Athletics.

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