1. Limit turnovers

This is the key for any team trying to beat Syracuse, not just Marquette. Syracuse’s famous 2-3 zone allows it to get out on the break after intercepting lazy passes from its opposition. The uncanny length of players like Michael Carter-Williams and James Southerland make the turnover-based defense effective even against the elite of college basketball. To wit, the ‘Cuse turned Indiana over 18 times in their Sweet Sixteen win Thursday night. Marquette’s passes must be crisp and calculated. It can’t afford to let Syracuse break off of sloppy offensive possessions. Junior Cadougan and Vander Blue have to control ball rotation to keep Marquette in the game.

2. Get paint touches on almost every possession

When Marquette beat Syracuse in late February, Davante Gardner scored a career-high 26 points (a performance Buzz Williams said he hasn’t equaled “before or since”). While expecting Gardner to dominate like that again is certainly unrealistic, Marquette needs to get him, Chris Otule or Jamil Wilson a touch in the paint on nearly every one of its offensive possessions. Syracuse’s three tournament opponents combined to shoot 16 percent from three-point range. Marquette cannot afford to aimlessly work the ball around the perimeter for most of the shot clock before settling for long-distance bombs. The big men need consistent opportunities on the low block, out of which they can either create their own shots or kick out to open shooters for better looks. Williams loves his paint touches, and his team will covet every one it can get tonight.

3. Play tight perimeter defense

While Syracuse is undeniably talented offensively, it lacks a true low-post scorer like Gardner. The Orange generate their offense from the perimeter, relying on Carter-Williams to attack the rim to find his own shot or other open shooters and scorers. Southerland and Brandon Triche dictate much of Syracuse’s offensive success by how well they are shooting from long range. CJ Fair can score in the post, but he often prefers to drift out to the perimeter and shoot threes or create his own shot off of quick drives. Marquette has struggled to defend against three-point shooting at times this season. A few games that come to mind are the loss to Notre Dame in the Big East Tournament, better known as the Pat Connaughton show, or the win over DePaul in February, where the lowly Blue Demons put on a shooting clinic in defeat. If the Golden Eagles can close down Syracuse’s distance shooters for 40 minutes, they could be playing in Atlanta in a week’s time.