Jim Boeheim and Syracuse were knocked out after one win in the NCAA Tournament last year.
Jim Boeheim and Syracuse don't need a win in the Big East Tournament to make the field of 68. Reuters

The first round game is usually a cakewalk for the number one seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

A top seed has never lost in the opening round in the field of 64.

Number one Syracuse isn't expected to lose to number 16 UNC-Asheville, but the game will be a little tougher for the Orange than it would've been a few days ago.

SU will take the court without starting center Fab Melo, who has been suspended for the entire NCAA Tournament.

The game is scheduled to tip off at 3:10 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh on truTV. The two teams will take the court after Kansas State and Southern Mississippi duke it out.

The winners of both games will meet on Saturday with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16 in the East Region.

If you can't get to a television, the game can be seen online.

March Madness On Demand allows you to watch every game of the NCAA Tournament on your computer, iPhone, iPad and select Android phone for a one-time payment of $3.99

Despite the loss of Fab Melo, Syracuse is expected to win this game pretty easily. The Orange are 15.5 favorites at most sportsbooks.

If the Bulldogs want to compete with the Orange, they'll have to put up a lot of points. They are fifth in the nation, averaging 81.2 points per game.

It won't be easy to score against Syracuse, which allows just 60 points a game. UNC-Asheville went 24-9 during the season, but they played in a very weak Big South Conference.

Syracuse lost just one game in the Big East during the regular season. UNC-Asheville finished with a conference mark of 16-2.

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