Syracuse basketball wraps up its 2023-24 regular season on Tuesday evening on the road against Clemson, and it's the most important game of this campaign to date for the Orange's post-season resume.
I'm not making that declaration merely because it's the final regular-season contest for the 'Cuse. The Orange, based on its play of late, has moved closer to the proverbial bubble for this spring's NCAA Tournament.
Based on the Tigers' NCAA NET ranking of No. 25 on Monday, this is a quadrant-one opportunity for Syracuse basketball, and that's huge. I think the Orange's current NET rating of No. 84 is a joke, but this metric is one of the tools used by the selection committee to determine invites to the 2024 Big Dance.
To date, Syracuse basketball has two quadrant-one success - at Pittsburgh and versus North Carolina at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange's recent road win versus N.C. State could vault into quadrant-one territory should the Wolfpack move into the NET's top 75. Either way, the 'Cuse landing a third quadrant-one victory, against Clemson on Tuesday, would be big.
How to watch Syracuse basketball at Clemson in the regular-season finale.
The Orange (20-10, 11-8 in the ACC) is scheduled to tip off at Clemson (20-9, 10-8 in the ACC) starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, March 5, with television coverage on ESPN2 from Littlejohn Coliseum. Coverage may also be available on fuboTV.
As of Monday, Syracuse basketball stood alone in fourth place within the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, although the 'Cuse only has one regular-season game left, whereas other league foes have two regular-season affairs remaining.
Following its road triumph over Louisville this past Saturday, the Orange has won four straight and six of its past eight. Syracuse basketball is shooting the ball much better of late and scoring at a high clip.
That will have to continue versus Clemson, as the Tigers were ranked in the top 25 nationally via KenPom in adjusted offensive efficiency when I wrote this piece on Monday. Clemson is a strong shooting team, and one of its best long-range threats is graduate student guard Joe Girard III, a former Orange player.
Assuming the 'Cuse can keep its good shooting going, that would be terrific. But if Syracuse basketball goes a bit cold from the field, rebounding will be paramount, as well as converting easy transition buckets following deflections and steals.
The Tigers, which most recently fell at Notre Dame over the weekend, are 9-6 in their all-time series with the 'Cuse. Last month at the Dome, Syracuse basketball and Clemson were tied late, but the Tigers would ultimately prevail, 77-68, buoyed by a game-high 18 points from Girard.
After the Orange battles at Clemson, the 'Cuse will wait to see where it is seeded in the upcoming ACC Tournament. If Syracuse basketball can knock off the Tigers away from the Hill and win at least one game in the ACC Tournament, I believe that the Orange will hear its name called on Selection Sunday.