On Wednesday night in Central New York, Syracuse basketball will attempt to spring one of the biggest upsets in collegiate hoops during the 2024-25 season.
The Orange, which played well in a road victory at California over the weekend, will host No. 2 Duke on Wednesday evening at the JMA Wireless Dome.
The Blue Devils (19-2, 11-0 in the ACC), whose roster includes former 'Cuse power forward Maliq Brown, have won 15 straight. They're in first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, they're the only squad to conquer the country's No. 1 team, Auburn, and they're a significant contender to capture the national championship at the conclusion of this spring's NCAA Tournament.
What's more, Duke has beaten Syracuse basketball nine times in a row and leads the all-time series, 16-6. Undeniably, the Blue Devils will prove a sizable betting favorite in this ACC encounter.
How to watch Syracuse basketball hosting No. 2 Duke on Wednesday.
The Orange (10-12, 4-7 in the ACC) and the Blue Devils will go toe to toe on Wednesday, Feb. 5, beginning at 7:00 pm and airing on ESPN2. Live-streaming coverage will also be available on FuboTV.
When I wrote this column, Syracuse basketball had an NCAA NET ranking of No. 132 overall, as compared to No. 2 for Duke, making this a quadrant-one opportunity for the Orange. To date in 2024-25, the 'Cuse is 0-7 in quad-one games.
Duke's two losses this term are by a combined eight points to top-20 teams Kansas and Kentucky, with both affairs taking place at neutral sites. The Blue Devils have beaten Maine, Army, Wofford, Arizona, Seattle, Auburn, Louisville, Incarnate Word, George Mason, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, SMU, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Miami, Boston College, Wake Forest, N.C. State and, most recently, North Carolina.
Statistically in 2024-25, Duke scores 80.3 points per game and allows 60.0 points, along with 39.3 rebounds, 17.0 assists, 3.7 blocks, 6.8 steals and 10.2 turnovers. The Orange scores 74.2 points per contest and gives up 77.0 points, along with 37.8 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 2.6 blocks, 4.6 steals and 12.5 turnovers.
The Blue Devils make 47.7 percent from the field, 77.0 percent from the charity stripe and 36.8 percent from beyond the arc. Syracuse basketball connects on 45.4 percent from the field, 69.5 percent from the free-throw line and 31.9 percent from 3-point land.
Needless to say, the Orange will need to play a near-perfect game to knock off the Blue Devils, and I assume that injured freshman power forward Donnie Freeman will not be available yet again (I hope that I'm wrong there).
Syracuse basketball has to lock down on defense and crush things on the glass. The Orange, plagued by turnovers throughout 2024-25, must take care of the ball with precision and not allow Duke to score easy points in transition.
The 'Cuse, a squad that doesn't shoot all that well from deep, is going to have to make some 3-pointers. Against Cal on the road last Saturday night, Syracuse basketball went 8-of-16 from beyond the arc. The Orange will need a similar performance in that department to stun the Blue Devils.
Adrian Autry employed a lot of zone defense versus California, enticing the Golden Bears to take a lot of 3-pointers. Cal missed the vast majority of such attempts. Might Autry utilize the zone against Duke? We'll have to wait and see.