Syracuse Basketball: Wake Forest Demon Deacons crystal ball predictions

Mat Mlodzinski, contributor (11-11)

Syracuse – 79, Wake Forest – 65

After a season-long winning streak of five games, the Orange have now dropped two straight, putting them in a place where a win would be much needed. This Wake Forest game couldn’t come at a better time.

Now, obviously the ACC is a very competitive conference, and this year, no one is that much better than the next. However, if you’re going to circle one remaining conference game that Syracuse should win, it would be versus the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

At 10-12 (3-9), Wake struggles due to their lack of defense.

Brandon Childress is actually one of the better scoring guards in the league, and the Demon Deacons are averaging over 70 points per game, showing that they can score the ball. However, their defense ranks among the worst in Power Six Conferences, at over 72 points allowed per game. Compare that to a Syracuse team that isn’t as defensively-minded as past years, but at around 67 points allowed on average, is a middle of the pack defensive team that has shut teams down from time to time.

The challenge will be even harder for Wake, however, as Elijah Hughes is one of the most gifted scorers in all of college basketball, just recently being named as one of the top 10 small forwards in the country.  Hughes has other options too, in Buddy Boeheim, Marek Dolezaj, and Joe Girard III, which could prove tough for Wake Forest to guard.

Syracuse is on the verge of a very tough stretch, with games against NC State, Florida State, and Louisville. This Wake game is an important one, and Syracuse seems primed to take it home.