Syracuse basketball eyes its first win in Las Vegas, as the Orange will battle another high-quality opponent on Wednesday afternoon at the Players Era Festival.
The 'Cuse was woeful with its shooting on Tuesday in a 71-60 loss to Kansas. The Orange also got crushed on the boards in this encounter with the Jayhawks. On the bright side, SU only committed two turnovers versus Kansas.
Final score from Vegas pic.twitter.com/qDyyNQ48ob
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) November 25, 2025
After a 4-0 start in the early part of the 2025-26 season, Syracuse basketball has now lost two straight and is in danger of going winless at the NIL-driven Players Era Festival.
Sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman, who leads the Orange in scoring so far this campaign, remains on the sidelines due to an injury. He will not play on Wednesday when the 'Cuse squares off with Big 12 Conference school and No. 15 Iowa State.
How to watch Syracuse basketball against Iowa State in Vegas.
The Orange (4-2) and the Cyclones (6-0) are scheduled to tip off at 1 pm EST on Wednesday, Nov. 26, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. TNT will provide television coverage.
We will play Iowa State on Wednesday at 1 PM ET on TNT pic.twitter.com/bzhVux5wiV
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) November 26, 2025
When I wrote this column, FanDuel had Iowa State as a 9.5-point betting favorite, with the over/under set at 157.5 points. In 2024-25, the Cyclones went 25-10 overall, reaching the NCAA Tournament's second round this past spring and finishing at No. 17 in the final Associated Press top-25 poll.
In their short all-time series together, the Orange is 2-0 against Iowa State, but they haven't played since November of 1990. So far at the Players Era Festival, the Cyclones have defeated No. 14 St. John's and Creighton.
Currently, Iowa State is No. 6 overall via KenPom. The Cyclones are No. 19 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 6 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Syracuse basketball, meanwhile, is No. 57 overall, according to KenPom.
In the Big 12 Conference's preseason media poll, Iowa State was projected to finish at No. 5 in that league during the 2025-26 season. The Orange will play its third tough foe in a row (and all from the Big 12), and given how the 'Cuse shot against Kansas, it's hard to imagine Syracuse basketball upsetting Iowa State.
It would be unfortunate if the Orange returned to Central New York having gone 0-3 in Las Vegas, and with an ACC/SEC Challenge contest against No. 17 Tennessee looming on December 2.