The NC State Men’s Basketball (15-8 6-6 ACC) team will be going on the road to face the Syracuse Orange (14-9 7-5 ACC) in another must-win ACC game. While NC State has a one-win lead in terms of overall record, Syracuse has won more conference games. This is another razor-thin margin of error for the Pack because if it wins, it will be tied with the Orange in conference play, but if the Pack loses, it will fall to a below .500 conference record.
The Pack has just acquired its first win against Miami after a three-game skid, but those three games were a big setback for any NCAA tournament hopes. Sitting at an even 6-6 conference record, this game is make-or-break for the Wolfpack. There were some flashes of greatness in the Miami game as redshirt senior forward C.J. Bryce put up a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Bryce was going through a skid of his own in the past few games, going two whole nights without scoring a single point before dropping 15 against Louisville.
Another double-double was posted in the Miami game. Senior guard Markell Johnson put up 19 points and 12 assists against the Hurricanes. Bryce is the Pack’s leading scorer and rebounder, and Markell is leading in assists, and after a couple of ugly games, they’re starting to look like their usual selves again. If they show up to the game against Syracuse, the Orange are going to have a tough time defending such a potent offense.
But Syracuse shouldn’t be taken lightly, it is in the upper half of the conference with a 7-5 record, with a quality win over Virginia. Winning six of its last eight conference games, with a win over Wake Forest as its latest, a home game against NC State bodes well. If it were to beat the Pack, the Orange would be in a good position to ride the rest of the season out in the top 5 with only two ranked teams coming its way.
The Orange’s last outing against Wake Forest was quite the nail-baiter, after taking a commanding lead for nearly the entire game, the Deacons came back and made it way too close for comfort. The Orange ended it at 75-73, with its top scorer of the night, sophomore Buddy Boeheim dropping a clean 23 points. It’s actual top scorer, redshirt junior Elijah Hughes, ended the night with 20 points.
Syracuse and NC State both have potent scorers, elite coaches and great team chemistry, but each team has one advantage over the other. NC State has a better playmaker with assists leader in Johnson, and Syracuse has home-court advantage. It will prove to be an exciting game to watch where anything can happen.
The Wolfpack faces the Orange at Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. You can watch the Pack on the ACC Network or ESPN 2.
