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Syracuse men’s basketball had a week off following its disastrous 80-69 loss to Pittsburgh, where it spoiled a 16-point first-half lead. The defeat marked SU’s 11th Atlantic Coast Conference loss of the season, tying its most-ever since the 2021-22 season. If the Orange lose one of their final four regular-season games, it will be the first time in program history that they’ll have 12 conference defeats.

SU will look to stave off that feat against NC State at home Wednesday. The contest will be both teams’ most important games of the season. Syracuse sits in 15th place in the ACC, which would be the lowest seed for the ACC Tournament. Due to the ACC’s expansion, three teams won’t qualify. NC State is currently one of those programs, but a win would propel the Wolfpack ahead of the Orange in the standings.

Here’s everything to know about NC State (11-16, 4-12 ACC) ahead of its matchup with Syracuse (11-16, 5-11 ACC) Wednesday:

All-time series

Syracuse leads 14-7.

Last time they played …

SU and NC State met in the second round of the ACC Tournament, where the Wolfpack prevailed 83-65. It was their first of nine straight wins, which helped them win the ACC Tournament and go all the way to the Final Four. Meanwhile, the loss ended the Orange’s first season under Adrian Autry.

Syracuse trailed by only three points at halftime and even led 39-37 with 18:45 remaining. That was before NC State embarked on a 21-2 run to seize control of the game. In his final game with SU, Judah Mintz scored a game-high 21 points while Jayden Taylor led NC State with 18.

KenPom odds

Syracuse has a 56% chance of winning, with a projected score of 73-71.

The Wolfpack report

NC State captured the hearts of college basketball fans last March with its Cinderella run to the Final Four. It finished 9-11 in ACC play and entered the ACC Tournament as the No. 10 seed after four-straight losses. The Wolfpack then won five games in five days to seal a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Center DJ Burns Jr. became a sensation due to his combination of power post moves and soft touch at 6-foot-9, 275 pounds. DJ Horne also wowed fans with his microwave-scoring ability.

Both players graduated, and NC State has failed to build off its success. Taylor — the Wolfpack’s third-leading scorer — returned alongside forward Ben Middlebrooks and guard Michael O’Connell, but they lost four of their top five scorers. To make up for the losses, head coach Kevin Keatts brought in Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield from Louisville, a former five-star recruit, per 247Sports.

Hill has made an instant impact, leading NC State in scoring with 12.1 points per game while Huntley-Hatfield is playing less than 20 minutes per game. Dontrez Styles, a Georgetown transfer, has had an impact in the frontcourt, adding 10.6 points per game and shooting 35% from 3.

NC State’s new-look squad went over a month without winning an ACC game, dropping nine straight. Before a 70-62 win against Boston College, the Wolfpack were 2-11 in ACC play. A 12-point win over Wake Forest two games later made it two wins in three games.

How Syracuse beats NC State

Chris Bell had his best game of the season against Pitt, scoring a season-high 23 points on seven 3-pointers. Syracuse should try to keep Bell hot to take some of the weight off J.J. Starling’s shoulders. Bell has come off the bench the last 14 games, but can still provide a scoring boost when needed, like he showed last Tuesday.

The Orange also need to play better defense, especially late in games. During their three-game losing streak, their second-half defense has been atrocious, allowing 140 combined points. Syracuse conceded 48 to Miami and 46 to both North Carolina and Pittsburgh. The lowest field goal percentage SU held anybody to in that stretch was 53.8% against UNC. NC State’s offense shouldn’t provide the Orange with many challenges, considering it averages just 70.2 points per game, which is the third-lowest mark in the ACC.

Stat to know: 11

Starling attempted a career-high 11 3-pointers against Pitt. The point guard connected on just three of them, part of a 5-for-15 effort from the field. It was just the fourth time in his career he attempted at least 10 triples. Many of Starling’s looks were open, which Autry pointed to postgame. He just didn’t hit them. Even if Starling didn’t take any ill-advised shots, 11 3s is a lot for him. Starling is best when he’s driving to the rim, not when he’s living on the perimeter.

Player to watch: Jayden Taylor, guard, No. 8

Taylor is the only double-digit scorer left from NC State’s run to the Final Four. As a junior, he wasn’t one of the Wolfpack’s stars, only averaging 5.6 points during the NCAA Tournament. He was solid for NC State during the season, averaging 11.2 points per game, and this year, his role has largely remained the same. His scoring average has barely increased to 11.8 points per game and he still hits over four 3-pointers per game, totaling a team-high 40 3s at a 33% clip.

Published on February 25, 2025 at 9:01 pm

Contact Zak: zakwolf784254@gmail.com | @ZakWolf22