Syracuse plays its second consecutive Top-25 road game when it hosts No. 23 Florida State on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Donald Tucker Center in Tallahassee. The Orange (12-5, 1-3 Atlantic Coast) can snap a three-game skid, while the Seminoles (12-4, 1-3) had a 28-game home winning streak broken this week.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the Orange’s matchup with FSU.

All-time series: Syracuse leads, 7-2

Last time they played: On Jan. 28, 2017 in the Carrier Dome, four SU players reached double figures in an 82-72 victory over then-No. 6 FSU. For the Seminoles, Terance Mann (15.1 points per game this season) scored three points and Braian Angola-Rodas (13.6 ppg average) scored four. Andrew White scored a game-high 24 points, had nine rebounds and picked up four steals. John Gillon added 21 points, Tyler Lydon 14 and Tyler Roberson 10 as SU had a 10-2 run to complete the game and secure the late-January upset amid a five-game winning streak.

The Florida State report: A team that won 26 games a year ago and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Florida State is a high-energy, deep team that figures to finish in the middle to top of the ACC. FSU had the most regular season wins in school history a year ago, and the team went undefeated at home for the first time in over 40 years.

It was supposed to be a rebuilding year, as FSU lost its top three scorers from a team that finished third in the ACC last season. But the Seminoles burst out to a hot start and are a top-25 team. Two of their four losses have come against fellow ranked opponents, nearly beating No. 7 Duke and No. 18 Miami, while they upset No. 20 North Carolina.

They brought in top-30 recruit M.J. Walker (7.6 points per game) and top-60 recruit and 7-footer Ike Obiagu (3.4). Junior guard Terance Mann is the team’s veteran presence and best offensive player. Last season FSU struggled inside, an area 7-foot-4 big Christ Koumadje could provide sturdiness. He is just getting into the swing after missing more than a month due to injury. He is key because he is a shot-blocking big who could make it hard for an already struggling Syracuse frontcourt to produce.

MJ Walker, a McDonald’s All-American, is a true distributor and explosive athlete, turning down football scholarships to Michigan and Clemson for FSU hoops. Phil Cofer was a reserve the past two seasons, but he has stepped up as a senior starter to average 13 points per game and shoot 42 percent from deep.

How Syracuse beats Florida State: A surefire way for Syracuse to win would be to play airtight defense and ride strong games from sophomore guard Tyus Battle and junior guard Frank Howard. FSU defends the paint fairly well, so an efficient Syracuse shooting effort could do the trick. FSU is as balanced an offense the Orange will see, as between nine and 10 players see floor time. Eight players average at least 6.4 points per game, meaning SU likely would beat FSU by sticking to its strength: team defense.

Stat to know: 42.6

Syracuse’s season field-goal percentage sits at a mere 276th in the country. Getting both consistent and efficient shots from the floor has been a problem for SU this season, mostly in its losses. Getting high-percentage looks off of strong offensive sets will be integral for an upset over FSU.

Kenpom odds: Kenpom gives Syracuse a 29 percent to win and predicts a 70-64 FSU victory.

Player to watch: Terance Mann, No. 14
Over 28.9 minutes, Mann averages a team-best 15.1 points per game. His versatility has made him a key cog in FSU’s balanced offense, and it has earned him comparisons to Michael Carter-Williams. He averages 6.2 rebounds per game and has dished out 49 assists thus far. The 6-foot-6 junior guard entered the season as the team’s top returning scorer and rebounder. Last year against the Orange, he scored only three points over 25 minutes, but he should contribute much more to the FSU attack this time.

Published on January 12, 2018 at 5:45 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21