Watch Syracuse Vs. Western Michigan Live Online, 2014 NCAA Tournament

Fans can watch the Syracuse vs. Western Michigan basketball game live online as the teams kick off the NCAA Tournament and hope for a trip through to Saturday.

The game tips off at 2:45 pm on Thursday from Buffalo, New York.

The contest will be what amounts to a home game for Syracuse, which is just a couple of hours down the Thruway from Buffalo, and the Orange may need whatever advantage they can get. After going more than half of the college basketball without losing a game, the Orange hit a rough patch down the stretch and tumbled in the rankings.

The team, once considered a surefire No. 1 seed, must now try to fight its way out of a South region that has No. 1 overall seed Florida at the top.

Many experts believe that other teams have caught up with Syracuse’s vaunted zone defense, even though the team still gave up just 59.5 points a game.

Syracuse guard C.J. Fair doesn’t think that’s the case.

“I believe probably everyone in this tournament played against a team that ran the zone at some point,” Fair said. “I don’t think it gives us an advantage.”

Fans who watch the Syracuse vs. Western Michigan game live online may see a difficult game for the Orange. The Broncos have two fifth-year seniors, including 6-foot-11 center Shayne Whittington, who averaged 16.3 points and 9.1 rebounds in the regular season.

Western Michigan also has several players who can hit the three, creating a difficult matchup for Syracuse’s 2-3 zone.

“We pride ourselves in our inside-out game, getting the ball in the paint,” Whittington said. “So, developing that and getting their mind on that early, maybe it will help them sink a little bit so we can have a few 3-pointers.”

Fans who want to watch the Syracuse vs. Western Michigan game live online can catch the 2014 NCAA Tournament action by clicking here.