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Coming off a horrendous 80-69 loss to Pittsburgh, Syracuse is back in action following a week-long break. Against Pitt, they blew a 16-point first-half lead. They allowed the Panthers to score 46 points in the back half on 62.5% shooting and six 3-pointers. Syracuse did hit a season-high 14 triples, seven of which were by Chris Bell, who scored a season-high 23 points. Ultimately, SU’s defense let it down, as it dropped its second game to Pitt this season.

Next up for Syracuse is NC State, a team that’s right behind it in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. SU sits in 15th place, one game ahead of the Wolfpack for the last spot in the ACC Tournament. A win for Syracuse would create a cushion, but a loss means NC State would overtake it in the standings.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (11-16, 5-11 ACC) will fare against NC State (11-16, 4-12, ACC):

Zak Wolf (23-4)
Barely
Syracuse 75, NC State 73

If you need any indication of how far Syracuse has fallen as a program, look no further than the stakes of Wednesday’s contest. For SU, mediocrity used to mean being on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Now it means teetering on the brink of the ACC Tournament, something that wasn’t even possible a year ago. If the Orange fail to beat NC State, they no longer control their own destiny for the postseason, which would be the cherry on top of the program’s worst season in 50 years.

That’s why I’m picking Syracuse. I don’t think it can get any worse for SU. Maybe that’s wishful thinking on my part, but I think there will be a sense of desperation against the Wolfpack. DJ Burns and DJ Horne can’t miraculously appear to recapture their Cinderella magic from last season. Instead, NC State is a below average squad that went a whole month without winning an ACC game, losing nine straight.

That doesn’t necessarily mean this will come easy for Syracuse. Every SU win this season has felt like pulling teeth, and this isn’t going to be different. NC State is going to be just as desperate as Syracuse, though I think J.J. Starling will make enough plays on the perimeter and Eddie Lampkin Jr.’s presence in the post can get the Orange over the line. Barely.

Aiden Stepansky (23-4)
Living on the edge
Syracuse 72, NC State 75

It’s not ridiculous to say this is the biggest game of the Adrian Autry era thus far. Of course, there were some big games last season, but the stakes in this one are massive. A loss for the Orange would put their ACC Tournament hopes in other teams’ hands for the first time. While NC State is far from an impressive squad, it has won two of its last three, including a 12-point win over Wake Forest.

Unlike Justin and Zak, I see the Orange slipping further. SU, at this point, doesn’t know how to win when it matters most. They proved it even further against Pitt, falling despite leading by as much as 16 points and Bell being hot from beyond the arc. Another sharp shooting day for Bell could lead SU to victory this time around, but I still don’t see it. The fact is Syracuse has allowed 78.6 points per game — the second-worst mark in the ACC — while the Wolfpack have given up only 69.9.

The Orange have even allowed an insane 85.6 points per game over their last five. It doesn’t matter how well Bell shoots, how strong Lampkin Jr. is inside or how crafty Starling gets in the midrange. Poor defense has plagued Syracuse time and time again. And even though NC State has one of the worst offenses in the conference, it won’t change for the Orange Wednesday.

Justin Girshon (21-6)
Winners get washed
Syracuse 77, NC State 74

Aiden and I were talking about if this is the biggest game of the Autry era. I thought he was nuts when he said this is the biggest one. But, it’s really not that far-fetched. I instantly thought about Syracuse’s regular-season finale against Clemson last year, which maybe could’ve pushed it toward the bubble if they won two or three ACC Tournament games.

Though SU getting to March Madness last year was pretty far-fetched regardless. What’s not far-fetched is missing the ACC Tournament — a very realistic possibility depending on what happens Wednesday. But, I think the Orange will seal their fate by defeating NC State.

While the Wolfpack are coming off a big win over Wake Forest, which SU lost to, I’m still not moved they’ll win consecutive games for the first time since December. Though the Orange’s defense has been horrific across their three-game losing streak, NC State’s 48.8% effective field goal percentage ranks 280th in the nation. I think Syracuse will score just enough to get by a shaky Wolfpack team for a crucial win.

Published on February 25, 2025 at 9:09 pm