Syracuse basketball got back into the win column this past Tuesday night, and now the Orange is set to have three straight games in Atlantic Coast Conference competition at home.
After getting drubbed by then-No. 7 North Carolina on the road last weekend, the ‘Cuse put forth one of its best performances of the 2023-24 season on Tuesday evening.
Playing in a hostile environment at Pittsburgh, the Syracuse basketball 3-point shooting was great, and the team’s defense was also good, as the Orange swept its regular-season series with the Panthers on the strength of a 69-58 triumph.
The ‘Cuse (12-5, 3-3 in the ACC) will next face Miami, Florida State and N.C. State, all at home. This is an opportunity for Syracuse basketball to grab some momentum and go on a winning streak, in my humble opinion.
How to watch Syracuse basketball versus Miami on the Hill.
The Orange will welcome the Hurricanes (12-5, 3-3 in the ACC) to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday, Jan. 20, with the tip-off at 12 pm and television coverage on ESPN2. Coverage may also be available on fuboTV.
Miami, in recent years, has produced some terrific post-season results under head coach Jim Larrañaga. The Hurricanes, as a No. 5 seed, reached the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual national champion UConn.
In the 2022 Big Dance, as a No. 10 seed, Miami got to the Elite Eight before bowing out to eventual national champion Kansas.
The Hurricanes, without question, have frustrated the Syracuse basketball fan base in recent terms. Miami has won three in a row over the Orange, by a combined eight points, and the ‘Cuse blew several large leads in losing to the Hurricanes in those league affairs.
Still, Syracuse basketball leads its all-time series with Miami, 20-12, and that of course includes encounters when they were both in the Big East Conference before moving to the ACC.
Based on Miami’s NCAA NET ranking, this is likely a quadrant-two opportunity for the ‘Cuse, which has yet to lose to date in 2023-24 at the Dome.
Both the Hurricanes and the Orange, at least for now, are hovering around the proverbial bubble for this spring’s March Madness.
Here is Miami’s resume to date. The Hurricanes have defeated NJIT, UCF, Florida International, Georgia, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Long Island University, La Salle, Stonehill, North Florida, Clemson and Virginia Tech.
Conversely, Miami has fallen to Kentucky, Colorado, Wake Forest, Louisville and Florida State.
By and large, the Hurricanes in the current stanza have proven an excellent shooting unit, from the field as a whole, beyond the arc and the free-throw line.
They commit a sizable number of turnovers per contest, and Miami also isn’t overly impressive with its scoring defense. If Syracuse basketball can force the Hurricanes into a lot of miscues and convert those mistakes into easy buckets out in transition, that will bode well for the Orange’s chances to prevail in this conference clash.
After the ‘Cuse hosts Miami, the Orange will welcome another Sunshine State team to Central New York.
Syracuse basketball and Florida State will go toe to toe at the Dome beginning at 7 pm on Tuesday, Jan. 23, with television coverage on ESPN2.