Before we ring in the New Year, we've got a little Syracuse basketball going on.
The Orange, coming off a 12-point victory against Patriot League member Bucknell over the weekend, has wrapped up its non-conference docket and will turn its attention entirely to Atlantic Coast Conference competition for the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season.
The 'Cuse didn't fare all so hot in the non-conference, sporting a 6-5 mark. Syracuse basketballl, in early December, fell in its ACC opener at Notre Dame by five points. Now the Orange will look to even its league record at 1-1 when it welcomes Wake Forest to the Hill on New Year's Eve.
How to watch Syracuse basketball battle Wake Forest on Tuesday afternoon.
The 'Cuse (6-6 overall, 0-1 in the ACC) and the Demon Deacons (9-4, 1-1 in the ACC) are scheduled to tip off at 2 pm on Tuesday, Dec. 31, with this ACC collision airing on ESPN2.
Per SU Athletics, in their all-time series together, Syracuse basketball is 11-4 versus Wake Forest, and that includes a perfect 6-0 record at the JMA Wireless Dome. That being said, the Orange has lost two straight contests in this series.
In the ACC's preseason media poll, Syracuse basketball was projected to finish at No. 11 in the 18-member conference, while the Demon Deacons were forecast at No. 3, behind just No. 1 Duke and No. 2 North Carolina.
At the time of this writing, the 'Cuse had an NCAA NET ranking of No. 141 overall, as compared to No. 103 for Wake Forest, making this a quadrant-three game for Syracuse basketball.
Here is the Demon Deacons' resume so far in 2024-25. They have beaten Coppin State, North Carolina A&T, Michigan, South Carolina Upstate, Western Carolina, Detroit Mercy, Minnesota, Boston College and James Madison. On the flip side, Wake Forest has fallen to Xavier, Florida, Texas A&M and Clemson.
The Demon Deacons aren't a great shooting group, and they only average 67.5 points per game on offense. However, one guy whom the 'Cuse absolutely must lock down is senior guard Hunter Sallis, who currently leads Wake Forest at 17.8 points per affair.
The former Gonzaga player was stellar for the Demon Deacons a stanza ago, getting named to the All-ACC first team after averaging 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per encounter while making 48.7 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from beyond the arc and 78.3 percent from the free-throw line.