Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

For the first time under Adrian Autry, Syracuse has lost three straight Atlantic Coast Conference games after falling to Florida State 90-74 on Saturday. The Orange will try to break their losing streak against Georgia Tech at the JMA Wireless Dome on Tuesday. If SU loses, it’ll be its first four-game ACC losing streak since Feb. 18-28 of the 2022-23 regular season.

Despite the FSU defeat, there were some positives for Syracuse to take into the GT matchup. Chris Bell hit his first 3-pointer in nearly a month and went a perfect 4-of-4 from deep while scoring a team-high 18 points. J.J. Starling ended his seven-game absence and returned from a broken hand.

Starling’s return and Bell’s potential hot streak are important, but as of now, Syracuse is dead last in the ACC. Though there’s still plenty of basketball left to play.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (6-8, 0-3 ACC) will fare against Georgia Tech (8-7, 2-2 ACC):

Zak Wolf (12-2)
Getting off the schneid
Syracuse 76, Georgia Tech 73

The two blemishes on my record are because I picked Syracuse to win. Have I learned from my mistakes? That’s a heavy question, but in short, no. The obvious reason for me picking Syracuse is Starling’s return. He was subpar in his first game back, but that’s expected since it was his first action in over a month. I think Starling’s performance will improve against GT, especially in the second half.

SU getting its leading scorer back is extremely beneficial to the rest of its offense. Starling’s scoring gravity draws the attention of opposing defenses, which can free up guys like Bell, who should have easier looks with less defensive focus on them. I’m banking on Bell having another strong outing with this prediction as well. Once Bell broke his streak of 13 missed 3-pointers, you could tell a burden was lifted from his shoulders. I expect Bell to be less hesitant and build off the FSU performance with another strong outing.

Those two factors don’t mean Syracuse will win comfortably. The Orange never displayed an ability to put away mid-major opponents, let alone anyone in the ACC. Any conference win will seem like a grind, and this one won’t be different. However, Starling should make enough plays down the stretch and lead Syracuse to victory.

Aiden Stepansky (14-0)
Another sting
Syracuse 77, Georgia Tech 81

I believe Syracuse will get its first ACC victory this week. The return of Starling undoubtedly increases the Orange’s chances in each contest and serves as a strong springboard to turn their season around. Still, I think SU will have to wait until Saturday in Chestnut Hill to remove the goose egg from its record.

Starling started hot but clearly wasn’t his best self against the Seminoles. And that’s expected. The star junior hadn’t played in real-game action in 39 days and needs a few tune-ups before he returns to form. Like Zak, I see Starling’s return as solely a positive on offense. Again, however, Syracuse’s defense will cause it to drop a close one to Georgia Tech.

The Orange rank 343rd in the country in points allowed per game at 79.7. GT doesn’t have the strongest offense in the world but has 3-point threats in Lance Terry and Javian McCollum, who can make the Orange pay — both shooting over 40% from deep on at least 60 attempts. Terry is averaging 18.6 points amid GT’s three-game winning streak, and the recent SU defense woes give me no reason to think they’ll slow him down.

The Yellow Jackets will give Autry and Co. another sting, setting the Orange three games under .500.

Justin Girshon (12-2)
Losers lose
Syracuse 80, Georgia Tech 82

This Syracuse team isn’t very good. I know that’s not a hard-hitting analysis, but it’s weird watching a group of collectively talented basketball players continue to find ways to lose. Hypothetically, when Bell is at his best, and Starling is on the floor, the Orange should hang with most non-upper-echelon ACC teams.

Against Florida State, when they most needed a win, the Orange instead crumbled over the final 10 minutes and had one of their worst stretches of the season. Facing Georgia Tech at home is more favorable than matching up with FSU on the road, but I see the same result — and a now all-too-familiar outcome — occurring at the JMA Wireless Dome.

As Aiden alluded to, it’s going to take Starling time to regain full strength, and that can’t come soon enough for SU. However, until then, I’m not totally sure who will actually show up and help the Orange close out a close game — which is what I’m envisioning Tuesday’s matchup to look like.

Bell is either completely on or completely off. SU hasn’t fed Eddie Lampkin Jr. down low nearly as much as I would’ve anticipated. Donnie Freeman has shown he’s more than capable of attacking inside, but I’m not totally confident Syracuse wants the ball in his hands. Elijah Moore’s minutes over the last couple of games have fallen significantly.

Whether it’s Lucas Taylor, Kyle Cuffe Jr. and/or Jyáre Davis, SU might need one of its secondary players to hit the big shot. In short, I have no idea how Autry will look to close a game, nor do I have any idea who he trusts with the ball in their hands. In the end, I believe it’s why the Orange will fall just short against GT.

Published on January 6, 2025 at 11:01 pm