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Syracuse’s nine-game unbeaten streak at the JMA Wireless Dome came to an abrupt halt Tuesday in an 85-69 loss to Florida State. In a back-and-forth affair, the Seminoles pulled away late in the second half to capture a victory.

Though SU entered the break with a 36-35 lead, its offense fell stagnant across the ensuing 20 minutes. Syracuse shot just 7.1% from 3 and had no answer for Florida State’s Jamir Watkins, who totaled 27 points.

SU hosts NC State for the first time this season Saturday. The Wolfpack are coming off of a 59-53 loss against Virginia and currently rank sixth in the ACC.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (13-6, 4-4 ACC) will fare against NC State (13-5, 5-2 ACC):

Cole Bambini (16-3)
Backs against the wall
Syracuse 75, NC State 70

Everytime Syracuse has lost a conference game, it has found a way to bounce back, in seemingly must-win games for any NCAA Tournament aspirations. Versus Florida State, the problem laid in the Orange’s 1-of-14 shooting performance from beyond the arc, in addition to Watkins dropping a team-high 27 points to counteract Judah Mintz’s 28.

The 3-ball has to be consistent Saturday. In conference games only, the Wolfpack and the Orange are the bottom two teams in 3-point shooting. Secondly, the Orange missed 11 free throws Tuesday and they have to make the freebies count.

NC State is an average offense in the conference — scoring 76.1 points per game — and is one Syracuse can handle when its offense is clicking. The key in this game lies in Syracuse’s shooting ability. I expect SU to get back in the win column, a place where it has found itself with pressure of defeat looming in their minds.

Henry O’Brien (16-3)
3s, 3s, 3s
Syracuse 74, NC State 72

A crucial factor in the Orange’s defeat to the Seminoles was their abysmal shooting from beyond the arc. SU made one 3-pointer — a Chris Bell make from the wing — on 14 attempts. If Syracuse wants to even think about getting back into fringe bubble contention, it needs to take advantage of the 3 against NC State, a team with one of the worst 3-point defenses in the country.

Additionally, Mintz can’t be the only player driving to the basket as Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said following Tuesday’s loss. J.J. Starling needs to convert on more layups and jumpers. But he, Bell and Justin Taylor all absolutely have to improve from 3.

Defensively, SU shouldn’t have too much trouble against the Wolfpack, a middle tier offense in the conference. That is of course given that the players don’t “stop defending” like Autry said in regards to the final minutes of the FSU loss. I think the defense and the shooting will be enough, but I don’t expect it to be a pretty win.

Tyler Schiff (16-3)
Breaking up the pack
Syracuse 70, NC State 67

SU’s struggles against Florida State stemmed from its inability to craft any sort of offense — Autry declared the performance Syracuse’s worst of the season. Unmotivated to stay disciplined on defense, FSU enjoyed a plethora of simple run-outs and dunks.

That can’t happen versus NC State. Though the Wolfpack don’t jump off the page in any specific statistical category, they boast four double-digit scorers on average led by DJ Horne — a talented and crafty slasher.

Though Syracuse’s magic from its thrilling 72-69 victory over Miami has worn off by now, the Orange are still a force to be reckoned with at home. No, their showing versus the visiting Seminoles didn’t impress, but rarely does SU look that bad. Forward Maliq Brown even chalked it up to a “it wasn’t our day” explanation postgame.

As long as Syracuse can infiltrate the paint and recover its shooting that it missed Tuesday, the Orange can come away with a win.

Published on January 24, 2024 at 11:28 pm