The Niagara Purple Eagles start their 2020-21 campaign at the Syracuse Orange on December 3 at 8 p.m.
Scene Setter
• Niagara will be led by second-year head coach
Greg Paulus, who was the recipient of the 2019-20 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award which is presented annually to the top first-year coach in NCAA Division I college basketball.
• Paulus, a native of Syracuse, was named Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year (2004) and the Gatorade High School Male Athlete of the Year (2005) at Christian Brothers Academy. After a successful playing career at Duke (2005-09), Paulus played on the Syracuse football team in 2009 where he was the starting quarterback and captain.
• The Purple Eagles and the Orange renewed their series for the first time in 19 years when they met at the Carrier Dome on December 28, 2019. Syracuse won 71-57, but the Purple Eagles were competitive throughout the game, and especially during the second half where they were outscored by only one point (30-29). Niagara outscored Syracuse in points off turnovers (12-7), bench points (33-8), and points in the paint (32-24) in the game.
•
Nick MacDonald led the Purple Eagles in scoring with a then-career-high 11 points in a career-high 26 points.
Greg Kuakumensah registered his second of two double-doubles on the season with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
• The Purple Eagles ended last season on a winning note. Niagara edged Marist in the 2019 MAAC Tournament First Round before the season was canceled due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
Tipoff Tidbits
• The Purple Eagles are one of 17 NCAA Division I teams to return at least 70 percent of their production from the last season in each of the following categories: points (80%), rebounds (74%), assists (91%), steals (96%), and blocks (83%).
• Last season, the Purple Eagles ranked statistically in the top-25 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.6), fewest total turnovers (338), turnover margin (3.3), and 3-point field goal percentage (.372), while leading the MAAC in all four categories. Niagara had the best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.13) in the MAAC.
• NU returns eight letterwinners, including four of the top five leading scorers and the entire starting five, from last season's team that exceeded preseason predictions.
• Leading the way is the tandem of
Marcus Hammond and
Raheem Solomon, who were both named to Preseason All-MAAC teams. Hammond, who earned All-MAAC First Team honors last season, was a unanimous selection to the first team, while Solomon made the third team.
• The Purple Eagles were tabbed to finish sixth in the Preseason MAAC poll.
On The Court
Syracuse Orange (1-0, 0-0 ACC)
• Syracuse returns four of five starters, including junior guard Buddy Boeheim who averaged 15.3 ppg.
• Syracuse opened its 120th season on November 27 with an 85-84 win over the Bryant Bulldogs.
• Four Orange scored in double figures - Buddy Boeheim (21), Marek Dolezaj (20), Alan Griffin (17), and Quincy Guerrier (15), with Griffin and Guerrier each posting double-doubles.
Against The Orange (Syracuse Leads 54-28)
• Niagara and Syracuse have met 82 times with the Orange holding a 54-28 advantage in the all-time series.
• The Purple Eagles, who have dropped the last nine encounters, won the first meeting between the programs during the 1909-10 season.
• Niagara's last win in the series was on February 25, 1976, under a Frank Layden-coached team that went on to play in the NIT.
• Niagara is 0-3 (1980, 2000, 2019) all-time at the Carrier Dome.
Last Meeting - December 28, 2019
Syracuse 71, Niagara 57
| The Series |
Syracuse Leads, 54-28 |
| Last Game |
December 28, 2019 |
|
Syracuse 71, Niagara 57 |
| Last Niagara win |
February 25, 1976 |
|
Niagara 59, Syracuse 57 |
| Last Syracuse win |
December 28, 2019 |
|
Syracuse 71, Niagara 57 |
| Last Niagara win at Syracuse |
February 26, 1969 |
|
Niagara 103, Syracuse 92 |
| Last Syracuse win at Home |
December 28, 2019 |
|
Syracuse 71, Niagara 57 |
| Current Streak |
Syracuse, W9 |
Against The ACC
• Niagara is 32-68 against the current members of the ACC.
• The Purple Eagles upended Pitt, 71-70, on December 5, 2018, for their first win against a current Power 5 opponent in 37 years.
• It was Niagara's first win against an ACC opponent since topping Syracuse during the 1975-76 season before the Orange joining the ACC.
