For the first time since Dec. 12, 1998, Syracuse (10-5, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) has dropped the first two games of conference play.

The Orange led Pittsburgh late on Wednesday but lost by double digits. SU tied No. 13 Miami late on Saturday but yet again fell by double digits. Next up is Clemson (8-6, 1-1), which just knocked off previously 10-2 Florida State.

The gauntlet that is ACC play trudges on inside the Carrier Dome Tuesday night at 8 p.m. as SU looks for its first conference win. Here’s what you need to know about the Tigers ahead of the matchup.

All-time series: 3-1 in favor of Clemson

Last time they played: In one of Syracuse’s worst performances of last season, the Tigers trounced SU by 13 points at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Orange trailed by 21 points at halftime after only scoring 18 points in the opening 20 minutes. Three players scored in double figures for Clemson, Donte Grantham (16), Rod Hall (15) and Jaron Blossomgame (15). Grantham and Blossomgame are both back this year. Syracuse shot an abysmal 2-of-15 from behind the arc and was led by Rakeem Christmas’ 21 points and 10 rebounds inside. Kaleb Joseph chipped in 12 points and Michael Gbinije 11 in SU’s first conference loss of the season.

Clemson report: Three Tigers average in double figures, Blossomgame, Grantham and redshirt junior guard Avry Holmes, to pace a Clemson offense that averages just under 70 points per game. Nine Tigers average over 10 minutes per game, so Syracuse will see yet another conference foe far deeper than itself. Its only notable win came against the Seminoles on Saturday, while some of its losses have come at the hands of Massachusetts (by 17) on a neutral court, against Alabama (by one) at home and at Georgia (by 23) on the road. The Tigers 106.5 adjusted offensive efficiency mark ranks 97th in the nation according to KenPom while its 99.4 adjusted defensive efficiency rating ranks 100th in the country. The one area that Clemson excels in is blocking shots, as its 15.8 block percentage is 11th in the nation behind the 2.4 blocks per game by starting center Landry Nnoko.

How Syracuse beats Clemson: Live on the outside. Nnoko, Blossomgame and backup center Sidy Djitte stand 6-foot-10, 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-10, respectively and all average under three fouls per game while averaging a combined 4.6 blocks per game. Clemson’s 3-point defense ranks 168th in the country, according to KenPom, as the Tigers’ opponents are shooting 34 percent from deep. A Syracuse team that’s shown it can shoot in the 40s when hot should have no problem jumping out against the Tigers if more than just Malachi Richardson can catch fire from beyond the arc. Over 30 percent of opponents’ points come from beyond the arc against Clemson, which ranks 102nd in the country, so the Orange may not have to scrap for looks from deep. Against Miami, about 40 percent of Syracuse’s points came from deep and it struggled to finish at the rim. If the likes of Gbinije and Tyler Roberson can’t convert the close-in shots they missed against the Hurricanes, the Orange could very well live and die by the 3.

Stat to know: Clemson point guard Jordan Roper plays the highest percentage of minutes of anyone on the team, according to KenPom, but is the seventh-most used player in terms of possessions that end with the ball in his hands. Roper led the Tigers with 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting in its their win against Florida State. All seven of his makes came from behind the arc and none came from inside it. He went 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Look for Clemson to possibly stick to the formula of getting its point guard more shots for similar results.

Player to watch: Six-foot-three sophomore guard Gabe DeVoe is used a significant amount despite how bad his numbers are, but he’s the kind of player that Mike Hopkins says can beat the Orange. He’s the third-most-used player on Clemson in terms of possessions that end with him, and he averages almost 20 minutes per game. He’s shooting less than 30 percent from behind the arc and from the field overall, but 60 percent of his shots come from deep and he’s a candidate to be another zone-buster that gives a Syracuse opponent an upset win from long range.

Published on January 3, 2016 at 1:18 pm

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman