Syracuse Basketball: How to watch ‘Cuse at home vs. N.C. State in key ACC clash

Syracuse basketball will wrap up a three-game home stand when the Orange hosts N.C. State on Saturday night in a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference contest.

These two conference foes enter this battle with identical records, although the ‘Cuse is one game “better” than the Wolfpack in non-conference results, while N.C. State is a game ahead of Syracuse basketball in the ACC standings.

The Orange (13-6, 4-4 in the ACC) can ill-afford another setback on the Hill, following Tuesday night’s debacle at the hands of Florida State. The ‘Cuse was awful from deep and had a stagnant offense in the second half, ultimately falling to the Seminoles, 85-69.

That outcome represented the first home defeat for Syracuse basketball in the 2023-24 season. Sophomore point guard Judah Mintz notched 28 points, however, in the second half, the team’s offense had virtually no flow to it.

N.C. State (13-6, 5-3 in the ACC) heads to the JMA Wireless Dome having fallen twice in a row, first to Virginia Tech at home and then to Virginia on the road, with each setback by six points.

How to watch Syracuse basketball against N.C. State at the Dome.

The Orange and the Wolfpack are scheduled to tip-off beginning at 7 pm on Saturday, Jan. 27, with television coverage on the ACC Network. Coverage may also be available on fuboTV.

At the time of this writing, KenPom had the ‘Cuse at No. 82 overall, No. 149 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 33 in adjusted defensive efficiency.

N.C. State checked in at No. 75 nationally via KenPom, No. 90 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 54 in adjusted defensive efficiency.

The Orange’s NCAA NET ranking, when I wrote this article, was No. 79, as compared to No. 77 for the Wolfpack. Currently, this is hovering between a quadrant-two and a quadrant-three game for the ‘Cuse.

As it pertains to this spring’s NCAA Tournament, this is definitely a bubble watch sort of affair. On the Bracket Matrix Web site, Syracuse basketball is appearing in some mock projections for the field of 68, but by and large, both the Orange and the Wolfpack are currently on the wrong side of the proverbial bubble.

In recent years, the ‘Cuse has owned N.C. State, winning five in a row and holding an all-time series lead of 12-6 over the Wolfpack, according to SU Athletics.

N.C. State, so far in 2023-24, has beaten The Citadel, Abilene Christian, Charleston Southern, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Maryland-Eastern Shore, UT Martin, Saint Louis, Detroit Mercy, Notre Dame, Virginia, Louisville and Wake Forest.

Conversely, the Wolfpack has lost to BYU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Virginia.

In taking a look at data on the ESPN Web site, Syracuse basketball and N.C. State are relatively even in a boatload of statistical categories. Neither team is particularly strong shooting the ball from the field or beyond the arc.

Naturally, if the Orange wants to win this encounter, it can’t connect on just 1-of-14 from 3-point land as it did versus FSU. The ‘Cuse also has to cut down on its turnovers; it had a whopping 16 miscues versus the Seminoles.

After Syracuse basketball hosts N.C. State, the Orange will travel to Chestnut Hill, Mass., to face Boston College starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, Jan. 30, with TV coverage on the ACC Network.

Earlier this season, on January 10, the ‘Cuse blew a 19-point lead in the first half at home against the Eagles but managed to triumph over Boston College, 69-59.