Syracuse basketball will complete a two-game road swing in Atlantic Coast Conference play when the Orange travels to Wake Forest on Saturday night in a quadrant-one opportunity for the ‘Cuse.
This conference clash will represent the first time that the Orange has battled the Demon Deacons since Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim coached his last game for Syracuse basketball in March of 2023.
Boeheim’s last encounter, unfortunately, occurred in the ACC Tournament when the ‘Cuse fell to Wake Forest on a last-second 3-pointer.
Now with Adrian Autry serving as the team’s head coach, the Orange is looking to rebound after losing by five points at Boston College earlier this week.
How to watch Syracuse basketball on the road versus Wake Forest.
The ‘Cuse (14-7, 5-5 in the ACC) and the Demon Deacons will do battle at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C., beginning at 7:45 pm on Saturday, Feb. 3, with television coverage on The CW Network. Coverage may also be available on fuboTV.
The current 2023-24 resume of Wake Forest (13-7, 5-4 in the ACC) is as follows. The Demon Deacons have defeated Elon, Towson, Charleston Southern, Florida, Rutgers, NJIT, Delaware State, Presbyterian, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Miami, Virginia and Louisville.
On the flip side, Wake Forest has lost to Georgia, Utah, LSU, Florida State, N.C. State, North Carolina and Pittsburgh.
To date in the 2023-24 season, the Demon Deacons, by and large, have proven one of the better scoring teams in the ACC. Wake Forest connects at a good clip from the field, the free-throw line and beyond the arc.
When I wrote this article, Syracuse basketball was No. 31 via KenPom in adjusted defensive efficiency, yet Boston College earlier this week made 60 percent of its field-goal attempts, along with 50 percent from deep.
The Orange will have to shore up its defense against Wake Forest while also crashing the boards hard and shooting way better from the charity stripe.
This Saturday evening, both teams will seek to improve their respective post-season resumes. The ‘Cuse, at this juncture, is outside the proverbial bubble for this spring’s NCAA Tournament, but a win at the Demon Deacons would likely prove a coveted quad-one success for Syracuse basketball.
In their all-time series together, the Orange is 11-3 versus Wake Forest, according to SU Athletics. Let’s hope that the ‘Cuse can get to 12-3 on Saturday.
After Syracuse basketball plays Wake Forest, the Orange will return to the JMA Wireless Dome to square off with Louisville on Wednesday, Feb. 7. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm, and the ACC Network will air this league affair.