Elite Eight Recruiting Flashback: Virginia vs. Syracuse

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In the first of Sunday's two Elite Eight games featuring ACC foes, No. 10 Syracuse and No. 1 Virginia will take the floor of the United Center in Chicago to decide the Midwest Region champ at 6:09 p.m. ET. Virginia already beat Syracuse 73-65 during their lone meeting in ACC play.

Syracuse has proven its somewhat controversial inclusion in the tournament was valid but it certainly has benefited from playing No. 12 and No. 11 seeds in the last two rounds. The Orange last made the Final Four in 2013 and a trip this year would be coach Jim Boeheim's fifth.

On the other side, Virginia has been a model of efficiency while breezing through three wins. A berth in the Final Four would be the Cavaliers' first since 1984 and would put them one step closer to winning the program's first national championship.

There has not been a more patient, well-coached and sharply executing team in the NCAA Tournament than Virginia. The Cavs will need all of that patience, coaching and execution against Syracuse and the infamous 2-3 zone. The Orange are going to sit back in that zone all game but don't mistake it for passive as they have been quite aggressive with traps, double- and even triple-teams during their run to the Elite Eight.

Syracuse survived poor shooting efforts from fifth-year senior Michael Gbinije and freshman Malachi Richardson against Gonzaga, but it will be different against Virginia. During the Sweet 16, the third member of the Orange's perimeter trio, senior Trevor Cooney, was active in attacking the rim rather than settling for three-pointers and more of that from him, Gbinije and Richardson would be helpful. Virginia plays physical defense and an opponent must get the Cavs moving and helping to find an open teammate or a lane. Some scoring from either Tyler Roberson or Tyler Lydon in the post would be huge for the Orange.

As for the Cavs, well they've been a machine. Guards London Perrantes and Malcolm Brogdon have totally dictated tempo and pace, and they simply aren't going to turn the ball over. The Cavaliers have only averaged seven turnovers per game during the tournament and even more impressive is how they have shared the ball. They have dished out 57 assists in three games while their opponents have just 21. Their defense forces one-on-one play and if you miss, expect Virginia to dominate on the glass as it has outrebounded opponents 34-26 during the three-game run. Big man Anthony Gill has also emerged as a more aggressive offensive player.

Eric Bossi on Syracuse: Transfers have become a huge story in college basketball and Syracuse has certainly benefited greatly from landing Michael Gbinije (Duke). He has been a gift for the Orange, they rely on him a lot and it was his bucket that sent the Orange to the Elite Eight. Even though they’ve faced some recruiting restrictions due to NCAA issues, Jim Boeheim and his staff haven’t fallen off a bit landing high-end talent such as freshmen Malachi Richardson and Tyler Lydon. Scholarship limitations have hurt the Orange's depth a bit but Boeheim continues to roll along.

Bossi on Virginia: Perhaps no coach in America has been as dedicated to recruiting to his specific style of play as Tony Bennett. It hasn’t always meant that the Cavaliers have landed the biggest-name players, but they have been successful. He gets guys who are skilled, tough and value possessing the ball. Eight players on the current roster are former Rivals150 recruits and a ninth – former five-star prospect Austin Nichols – is sitting out this season after transferring from Memphis. Brogdon is the embodiment of the Cavaliers' philosophy. He was a four-star prospect ranked just outside of the national top 100 who I thought could be good at UVA but I was worried about his lack of big-time athleticism. All he's done is develop into the ACC player of the year on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball because everything that Bennett values, Brogdon does well.