Opponent Preview: Everything to know about NC State

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Syracuse’s undefeated home record came to a crashing conclusion in an 85-69 loss to Florida State Tuesday. The Orange played sloppy throughout the whole contest and were outscored by the Seminoles 34-15 over the final 12 minutes.

Head coach Adrian Autry noted the turnaround for another home matchup, this time against an NC State team that has an identical record to SU. The loss to FSU already hurts the Orange’s chances of becoming a bubble team, though a win against the Wolfpack would keep them in tournament contention.

Here’s everything you need to know about NC State (13-6, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) before it takes on Syracuse (13-6, 4-4 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 12-6.

Last time they played…

When Syracuse defeated NC State 75-72 at the JMA Wireless Dome last Valentine’s Day, the two teams went the distance. Judah Mintz scored 20 points, while former SU center Jesse Edwards recorded 16 rebounds.

Edwards ended up making the plays the Orange needed in the final two minutes. Edwards dished out an assist to Mintz, who scored a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game. Then he scored a layup to give SU the lead.

KenPom odds

Syracuse has a 58% chance of winning, with a projected score of 74-72.

The Wolfpack report

Last season, Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts guided his team to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in his seven-year tenure. While Keatts’ teams have never been the best at shooting, they maintain possessions and grind opponents down.

Like Syracuse, NC State is fighting to stay near the bubble, especially after an overtime loss to Virginia. Following a stretch where they suffered a double-digit loss to North Carolina and a home loss to Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack are nowhere near the field of 68, according to ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi.

But they still feature a respectable guard tandem in DJ Horne and Jayden Taylor. Horne is one of the better scorers in the ACC, ranking 14th overall ahead of players like Clemson’s Joe Girard III and UNC’s Armando Bacot.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

How Syracuse beats NC State

While this isn’t mutually exclusive to the matchup against the Wolfpack, the Orange absolutely have to shoot better from 3 against an NC State team that ranks 218th in 3-point defense.

Against Florida State, Syracuse made just one 3-pointer on 14 attempts. Chris Bell and Justin Taylor have to be more consistent, while Mintz and J.J. Starling need to hit open shots. SU can’t rely on driving to the rim and drawing fouls. It has to make jumpshots. It’s an absolute necessity.

Stat to know: 13.9%

If there’s any stat that spells trouble for Syracuse, it’s NC State’s offensive turnover rate is 13.9%, which ranks 12th in the country. While the Orange have one of the better defenders in the nation in Mintz, who has tallied 39 steals, the Wolfpack simply don’t lose possession easily.

Horne and Taylor maintain NC State’s tempo and don’t really make risky decisions with the basketball. Even as SU relies on turnovers to create fast break opportunities, it might have to settle and adjust to the Wolfpack’s style.

Player to watch: DJ Horne, guard, No. 0

Along with being the Wolfpack’s leading scorer, Horne shoots 42.1% from beyond the arc and is fourth in the conference in 3-point field goals. But Horne has also been through some disciplinary issues over the past two weeks.

Horne received a public reprimand from the ACC after making an obscene gesture in the Wolfpack’s 83-76 win over Wake Forest. The reprimand was “based on Horne’s involvement in an unsportsmanlike and inappropriate gesture at the end of the game,” according to a statement from a league.