I was hoping a change of scenery would help out Syracuse basketball on Tuesday night. But it didn't.
Sure, five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell III, a talented wing who joined 'Cuse basketball earlier this month as the spring semester commenced, got into the game and scored three points. That was awesome. And the Orange hoops program hung around with N.C. State in Raleigh, N.C., for a while before the Wolfpack turned on the jets in the second part of the second half.
The end result was an 88-68 demolition of the 'Cuse by N.C. State, which handed Syracuse basketball its fourth straight loss. The Orange (12-9 overall, 3-5 in the ACC) simply can't stop anyone on defense, and on Tuesday evening, Syracuse basketball couldn't attain even 40 percent shooting from the field.
Following another demoralizing setback in the 2025-26 season, the 'Cuse is now 15-8 in its all-time series with the Wolfpack (15-6 overall, 6-2 in the ACC). SU fans are growing even more frustrated, with the Orange set to host Notre Dame on Saturday amid a Syracuse football junior day.
Syracuse basketball fell to N.C. State. Here's how.
In losing to the Wolfpack, the 'Cuse missed out on a potential quadrant-one victory. Former Orange player Quadir Copeland, a senior guard at N.C. State, was terrific, tallying 19 points and nine assists.
For Syracuse basketball, sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman kept the 'Cuse within striking distance in the first half, while senior shooting guard J.J. Starling was the man in the second half. Freeman finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Starling had 17 points. No one else on the SU roster had more than six points. That's a problem.
N.C. State shot 51 percent from the field, 29 percent from 3-point land and 83 percent from the free-throw line. The Orange made just 39 percent from the field, 30 percent from beyond the arc and a mere 56 percent from the charity stripe.
In the second half, the Wolfpack dominated on the glass. N.C. State ultimately had a 45-33 edge in rebounding, 16-12 in bench points, 50-38 in paint points and 21-10 in assists. The 'Cuse, conversely, led 13-10 in points off turnovers, 18-15 in second-chance points, 11-10 in fast-break points and 4-0 in blocks. Each team had 11 turnovers and eight steals.
Well, it's a rough time for the Syracuse basketball program and its fan base, but hopefully, the 'Cuse can put this game in the rear-view mirror and get ready for the Fighting Irish on Saturday. I'm praying for an Orange victory, because hearing the boos at the JMA Wireless Dome is sad, sad, sad.