College basketball preview: USF Bulls at No. 2 Syracuse Orange

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USF at No. 2 Syracuse

When/where: 7; Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.

TV/radio: BHSN; 620-AM

Records: USF 17-10, 10-4 Big East; Syracuse 27-1, 14-1

Notable: USF is riding a four-game win streak but faces perhaps its toughest game of the season: Syracuse has dominated the Big East, though it led Rutgers by just two with three minutes left in its last victory. … Syracuse leads the Big East in turnover margin; USF is second-worst in conference play. … Rebounding could be an advantage for USF, as Syracuse has been outrebounded by 3.6 a game in Big East games, but it offsets that by blocking 7.3 shots per game. … The Orange has polished guards in Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche, a top scorer in forward Kris Joseph and size and depth in the post to challenge USF's three inside players. … Win here, and the Bulls might not have to worry about the NCAA bubble: It'd be the highest-ranked team USF has ever beaten.

Greg Auman, Times staff writer