The NC State men’s basketball team will close out January with a trip to Syracuse to take on the Orange this Sunday, Jan. 31.

The Pack (7-5, 3-4 ACC) is returning from its home win over Wake Forest that snapped its four-game losing streak, while the Orange (9-5, 3-4 ACC) are looking to bounce back from an 81-58 loss to No. 8 Virginia. 

So far this season, the Orange have been very inconsistent in ACC play, starting off with a 38-point win over Boston College back in December, before falling into a three-game ACC losing streak. It was able to beat both Miami and No. 16 Virginia Tech, but didn’t have that same luck in its most recent game.

Syracuse struggled in its matchup against the Cavaliers, scoring just 10 points off of turnovers and only five points from the bench. Once Virginia took the lead early in the first half, it kept scoring and never looked back.

Sophomore forward Quincy Guerrier led the Orange in scoring, including 15 points and seven rebounds. He is one of five players on the roster averaging over 10 points per game. Other notable scorers include junior forward Alan Griffin, who stands just behind Guerrier, averaging 15.5 points, and junior guard Buddy Boeheim, who currently averages 14.5 points. 

Defensively, Syracuse is highlighted by freshman guard Kadary Richmond, who leads the team with 26 steals so far, and Griffin, who leads the team with 21 blocks. Guerrier sits just behind him with 16, and two other members of the roster have over 10. 

While NC State may have had better luck scoring in its most recent matchup, the Wolfpack certainly didn’t have luck on its side when it came to staying healthy. 

During the second half of the win over Wake Forest, leading scorer and redshirt senior guard Devon Daniels suffered a torn ACL which ended his season. This is a big blow for the Pack as he led the team, averaging 16.5 points per game and 37 assists total.

Others have already shown they are willing to step up to the challenge though, including junior forward Jericole Hellems, who has now recorded three straight double-digit games for the Pack. 

This is a very important matchup for the Wolfpack as a win could improve the huge momentum shift on the season after the victory over Wake Forest, but a loss could put it back into another slump. 

The game will tip off in Syracuse at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 31 and be aired on the ACC Network.