Beat writers split if Syracuse will take season series over NC State

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Syracuse fell to Georgia Tech 65-60 on the road Saturday. Despite the Yellow Jackets committing 17 turnovers, SU lost the rebounding battle 49-28 and shot just 36.7% and 4-of-25 from 3. The defeat came just days removed from Syracuse’s 86-79 victory over then-No. 7 North Carolina — the program’s first over an AP top-10 team since 2019.

“I’m sure you can imagine this is like the most disappointing loss out of a game where we played really good together,” SU guard J.J. Starling said after its loss to Georgia Tech. “Today, we kinda (regressed) backwards.”

On Tuesday, the Orange take on NC State for the second time this season. In their first meeting, led by 20-plus point outings from Starling and Judah Mintz, Syracuse cruised to a 77-65 home win Jan. 27. The Wolfpack — currently fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference — halted a two-game losing skid Saturday when they beat Clemson 78-77.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (16-10, 7-8 ACC) will fare against NC State (16-9, 8-6 ACC) on Tuesday:

Cole Bambini (20-6)
0-4 in North Carolina
NC State 81, Syracuse 73

Every time Syracuse has played on the road in North Carolina, it has lost by at least 20 points. Defeats to UNC, Duke and Wake Forest were setbacks for Syracuse, which has won just one conference game on the road. Though the Orange have previously beaten NC State, I find it difficult to imagine that they’d get the season-sweep, especially because of their poor play on the road and inconsistencies.

Syracuse has been playing with basically a seven-man rotation, arguably a six-man rotation if you look at minutes played. Maliq Brown will be in danger of fouling out in a shorthanded frontcourt, and NC State should look to DJ Burns Jr. down low to force Brown into trouble. Both he and Quadir Copeland fouled out during SU’s loss to Georgia Tech, and the Yellow Jackets had the game secured at that point.

On Tuesday, I don’t think Mintz and Starling can do all the work necessary to pull out a win. They seem to be the only consistent options for Syracuse, and it’s unknown what production the team may get from Chris Bell, Justin Taylor and company. If this were at the Dome, then this may be a different story, but I think Syracuse will finish winless this season in the Tar Heel state.

Henry O’Brien (19-7)
Not Tobacco Road again…
NC State 78, Syracuse 75

Syracuse has not performed on the road. Not one bit. With a 2-6 record on opponents’ home floors, the Orange have played sloppy basketball when away from the JMA Wireless Dome. There is no better example of this than the away loss to Georgia Tech following a season-highlight win over then-No. 7 North Carolina last week at home.

If you’ve seen how SU has played on Tobacco Road, you know it’s not been kind to this team. In blowout defeats to the Tar Heels (Jan. 13), Duke and Wake Forest, the Orange lost by an average margin of 28 points. The loss to the Demon Deacons spurred Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry’s misgivings about his team.

SU is now playing the weakest of the four North Carolina teams as NC State has been just as inconsistent with an 8-6 ACC record. NC State’s head coach Kevin Keatts even said the defeat to SU in January was his team’s worst loss of the year. But with Syracuse’s lack of size (no Benny Williams, Naheem McLeod or Peter Carey) and struggles on the road, the Wolfpack should squeak out a win at home.

Tyler Schiff (20-6)
Improbable but not impossible
Syracuse 75, NC State 70

I’ve made crazier predictions. Yes, Syracuse is coming off a loss to Georgia Tech while NC State last beat Clemson. SU also owns a 2-6 away record and the Wolfpack boast an 11-3 home resume.

But my optimism stems from belief in Starling and Mintz. Their combined 48-point performance to topple UNC — though slightly frayed now after Saturday’s loss in Atlanta — tells me that a good game for Syracuse’s backcourt means an astronomically larger shot at victory.

Brown — now practically SU’s lone healthy frontcourt member — will also be key Tuesday. Despite fouling out against GT down the stretch, it was his defensive presence, as the anchor of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone, which limited star forward Armando Bacot on Feb. 13. If Mintz and Starling operate efficiently in the halfcourt and Brown can stay on the floor for 36 minutes, I expect the Orange to pull out another surprising win.

Of course, Syracuse needs to rebound better. And I’m not ignoring the recent production of NC State’s one-two punch of DJ Horne and Burns Jr. But winning at any level begins with a team’s stars and I think that aforementioned trio has enough to fend off NC State and place Syracuse back into the win column.