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Three days after its 17-point loss to Clemson, Syracuse will face NC State for the two teams’ second meeting of the season. The Orange erased a nine-point halftime deficit on Jan. 31 in their narrow 76-73 victory over the Wolfpack in the Carrier Dome. 

Here’s what The Daily Orange’s beat writers think will happen on Tuesday when the Orange (10-6, 4-5 Atlantic Coast) face the Wolfpack (8-7, 4-6) in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Andrew Crane
Return of the pack
NC State 77, Syracuse 67

Even without Devon Daniels, its top scorer, NC State would’ve beaten Syracuse on Jan. 31 if D.J. Funderburk had played. And he will on Tuesday. The Orange don’t even look like an NCAA Tournament bubble team after they were shellacked on Saturday against Clemson, and season-long defensive problems keep reappearing. Manny Bates and Jericole Hellems proved to be big problems for SU, and Funderburk returning will only worsen that.

Look for SU to keep the game close for the first 30 minutes, but NC State’s forward depth — Funderburk, Bates, Hellems — may prove to be too much for the Orange. Syracuse’s season is no longer on the bubble after Tuesday. It will need to win the entire ACC tournament for a chance at postseason play.

Anthony Dabbundo
Not done yet
Syracuse 78, NC State 75

SU’s 17-point loss to Clemson on Saturday knocked Syracuse off the bubble, and now Tuesday night in Raleigh is a true must-win situation. Syracuse barely squeaked by the Wolfpack in the first meeting, and the return of Funderburk to the lineup will present SU another challenge. But the Orange will have Bourama Sidibe for at least limited minutes to help on the glass and could help stabilize SU. He played 11 minutes against Clemson and should be able to play at least that much on Tuesday. The Wolfpack are not nearly as physical or good defensively as Clemson, as Syracuse’s offense showed in the first meeting. 

Just when everyone counts Syracuse over and done is when they tend to respond, and I think they’ll get a response on Tuesday night, taking a modest lead into the half and hanging on late for a road win to save any chance of an at-large bid.

But make no mistake. A win over NC State, even on the road, won’t be nearly enough to get them into the tournament.

Danny Emerman
Still here
Syracuse 75, NC State 70

The margin for error the rest of the way is razor thin. A season sweep over NC State won’t change that. However, Syracuse will bounce back after the Clemson defeat against an inferior Wolfpack team it should’ve handled much easier in their first matchup. 

Hellems and Bates are problems for Syracuse, but NC State doesn’t have much else. It lacks in perimeter shooting, and SU figured out the NC State offensive attack in the second half, when it allowed 26 points on 32% shooting. SU’s defense is closer to that than the abysmal first-half performance, and Sidibe — even while semi-compromised — should help further cement that.

Published on February 8, 2021 at 8:22 pm