Syracuse basketball, which has grabbed some much-needed confidence and momentum in winning its last two Atlantic Coast Conference clashes, returns to the JMA Wireless Dome on Tuesday evening for a battle with red-hot Louisville.
Despite being without freshman power forward Donnie Freeman, who has a lower right leg injury, the Orange this past week defeated Georgia Tech at home and then Boston College on the road.
Those outcomes provided the 'Cuse with its first ACC win, its first power conference victory and its first road triumph of the 2024-25 season. As I noted in a column on Sunday, for Syracuse basketball to secure those things amid Freeman, who had been the team's leading rebounder, being unavailable displayed the grit and toughness of this Orange roster.
Now the 'Cuse is set to host the Cardinals, a group that has proven one of the league's most pleasant surprises to date in the 2024-25 campaign.
How to watch Louisville at Syracuse basketball on Tuesday.
The Cardinals (12-5, 5-1 in the ACC) will head to the Hill to play the Orange (8-8, 2-3 in the ACC) on January 14, with the tip-off scheduled for 7:00 pm and television coverage on the ACC Network. You can also check out this ACC affair via live-streaming coverage on FuboTV.
While Syracuse basketball has won two straight, Louisville has captured six consecutive victories. Only top-five Duke, winners of 10 in a row, is on a better success streak right now than the Cardinals.
At this juncture, Louisville is tied for second place in the ACC standings with Clemson, trailing only the Blue Devils. In the conference's preseason media poll, the Cardinals were forecast at No. 9, as compared to No. 11 for the Orange.
Pat Kelsey, who previously led the College of Charleston and before that Winthrop, is doing a terrific job so far in his first season as Louisville's head coach. The Cardinals, in 2024-25, have beaten Morehead State, Bellarmine, Winthrop, Indiana, West Virginia, UTEP, Florida State, Eastern Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, Clemson and Pittsburgh.
Conversely, Louisville has fallen to Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Duke and Kentucky. When I wrote this article, the 'Cuse had an NCAA NET ranking of No. 144 overall, while the Cardinals were No. 36, making this a quadrant-two contest for Syracuse basketball.
Over at the Bracket Matrix Web site, Louisville currently is viewed by experts as a projected No. 9 seed for this spring's NCAA Tournament.
Per SU Athletics, in their all-time series together, the Orange is 14-19 against the Cardinals, although Syracuse basketball has claimed the past four match-ups.
On the season, per ESPN statistics, Louisville is scoring 77.8 points per contest and allowing 70.2 points, along with 38.6 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 3.0 blocks, 6.9 steals and 11.6 turnovers. The 'Cuse is scoring 75.9 points per game and giving up 77.6 points, to go with 38.9 boards, 13.8 dimes, 2.7 blocks, 4.6 steals and 12.5 turnovers.
Candidly, neither squad is a stellar shooting unit. The Cardinals make 43.3 percent from the field, 71.7 percent from the free-throw line and 30.2 percent from beyond the arc. Syracuse basketball connects on 45.7 percent from the field, 70.0 percent from the charity stripe and 29.1 percent from 3-point land.
Orange fans will recognize at least one player on the Louisville roster. Fifth-year center Frank Anselem-Ibe suits up for the Cardinals after previously competing for Syracuse basketball and then Georgia. Anselem-Ibe, in 2024-25, has appeared in 11 games but only averages 3.8 minutes per meeting.
The 'Cuse made a nice second-half comeback on the road versus Boston College this past Saturday and seeks to keep the positive momentum rolling. Conquering Louisville will be no easy task, but this is an opportunity for Syracuse basketball, at home, to notch its marquee success of the 2024-25 term to date.