The Sweet 16 matchup between the Syracuse Orange and Wisconsin Badgers Thursday night at the TD Garden could come down to which team controls the pace.
Syracuse thrives in transition, using its superior depth, athleticism and unselfishness to score 74.6 points per game, 39th in the country -- and that's while playing zone defense, which tends to slow the tempo of another team's offense.
Wisconsin scores just 63.9 points per game, 263rd in the country, and prefers a plodding pace in which half-court execution reins supreme.
SB Nation's Wisconsin blog (Bucky's Fifth Quarter) and Syracuse blog (Nunes Magician) posted a question-and-answer about Thursday's 2012 NCAA Tournament game that touched on many topics.
One of them: How can Syracuse lose?
Generally, the story has been opposing team's getting a lot of offensive rebounds, and slowing the game down. Teams that have slowed the game down and limited the Orange's opportunities in transition have been successful. But this Syracuse team has won a lot of games in that mold as well. They're very resiliant, versatile, and can win any type of game.
Wisconsin must shoot well from the outside. Syracuse is very athletic, and very talented. If they can hit threes and control the boards, they can win. Syracuse gave up 25 offensive rebounds against Kansas State. That could be a key for the Badgers.
For more 2012 NCAA Tournament coverage, follow our StoryStream. Also visit SB Nation for more March Madness coverage. Printable bracket can be viewed by clicking here.