This Thursday at 7:00 PM, the Yeshiva University Maccabees (3-2) will travel downtown to face off against the undefeated #7 ranked New York University Violets (7-0). The Macs will continue their grueling non-conference schedule following their dismantling by #1 Trinity. According to D3datacast, the Violets are the second best team in the country, trailing only Trinity in the one spot.
In their last two matchups, the Macs have fallen to the Violets by allowing scores of 97 and 108; games where NYU’s offense was unstoppable. This year, we will see a completely different lineup out of NYU. Sharpshooters Spencer Freedman and Michael Savarino who torched the Macs from downtown are gone. The Violets have three new transfer players in their starting lineup and two off the bench, including their leading scorer, D1 transfer Tristan How. Tonight's game against one of the best teams in the whole country will be a tough game for YU; a chance to show the nation what they are made of.
The Macs are 0-2 in the “Max Zakheim era” against NYU. They hope the third time to be the charm tonight against the seventh ranked team in the country. (Akiva Poppers/Macslive)
Defense:
The Violets have a top 30 offense in the nation averaging 88 points per game. Their offense is smooth and efficient, shooting over 50% from the field and 42% from beyond the arc as a team. Everyone on the team is a threat with no one player averaging over 20 points and five different players averaging double digits. Yeshiva will need to have a comprehensive game plan to break this offense into manageable pieces. The 280th ranked Macs defense will need to show up tonight and put on a clinic if they want to win this game.
Rebounding:
With the Violets dominating offense, the Macs cannot afford to allow second chance points. The Macs are averaging just over 30 rebounds a game, a pitiful mark for a team with high expectations. The Violets are averaging 39 rebounds a game, holding opponents to just 27. The Macs will need to get physical in the paint and fight for every board. If the Macs allow the Violets to put up a +12 rebound differential in this game, it will be a strenuous path to victory.
Playing the Full 40:
In the Macs last game against Trinity, it initially looked like the Macs were able to keep pace with the #1 team, going into the half down by only five points. All of that fell apart when the Macs were outscored 52-16 in the second half. Yeshiva will need to play their hardest for a full 40 minutes: Every play is important if the Macs want to pull off this upset.
How to Watch:
Tip-off is at 7PM in downtown Manhattan. You can watch the game here.
Commentaires