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Syracuse pulled off a miraculous comeback against Notre Dame to pull itself back to .500 on the season. SU came from down 17 points in the first half to shock ND by winning 77-69. The Orange outscored the Fighting Irish 44-27 in the final 20 minutes. J.J. Starling led the way with 21 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Syracuse has an even bigger test on Wednesday, traveling down south to take on Clemson.
The Orange have lost their last three meetings with the Tigers and haven’t beaten them on the road since 2017. Clemson currently holds the second-best record in the Atlantic Coast Conference with its only defeat coming against Louisville earlier this month.
Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (9-9, 3-4 ACC) will fare against Clemson (15-4, 7-1 ACC) on the road:
Zak Wolf (15-3)
A reality check
Syracuse 68, Clemson 82
The last time Syracuse beat Clemson on the road was in 2018. The Orange needed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Tyus Battle to get the job done. I was in eighth grade when that happened. Three days before Battle’s game-winner, the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 52. Unequivocally the best day of my life.
As of today, the Eagles are one win away from making it to another Super Bowl. Do the two things have any correlation to each other? No. Will history repeat itself? I doubt it (the Syracuse part, that is). This game feels too much like the Louisville game, where the Orange simply aren’t as talented as their opposition. Clemson has a great one-two punch with point guard Chase Hunter — the ACC’s leader in 3-point percentage — and forward Ian Schieffelin. The Tigers also have experience on their side, having been to the Elite Eight last season.
Syracuse’s comeback win over Notre Dame was a good story. SU played some of its best defense of the season, holding the Fighting Irish to 8-of-25 shooting in the second half. Clemson is too good of a team for that to happen to them. It averages 117.4 points per 100 possessions, according to KenPom, the 28th-best mark in the country. It also has the 35th-best defense using the same metrics. Those are the marks of a good team. Syracuse is not, and it will lose handily.
Aiden Stepansky (16-2)
Class of the ACC
Syracuse 73, Clemson 84
Syracuse’s win over Notre Dame Saturday shot the Orange up to 10th in the conference standings. While a 3-4 record in ACC play puts SU in a safe spot for ACC Tournament qualification for now, it’s clear the Orange aren’t anywhere close competition-wise to the top class of the ACC. Clemson sits within that top tier at 7-1, and will further prove why it belongs there and SU belongs below it on Wednesday.
To put it simply, the Tigers’ offense is one the Orange won’t keep up with. At nearly 39% from 3, Clemson ranks first in the conference and 13th in the nation from beyond the arc. For context, its 177 converted 3s is 73 more than Syracuse, a 219-point difference. At the head of the snake is Hunter, who’s continued to elevate his game in year six with the program. He’s reached double figures in all but one game this season and will likely continue his ways against a faulty Syracuse defense.
SU’s win over the Fighting Irish Saturday was a great story of perseverance and adjustments. But facing teams of Clemson’s caliber doesn’t allow for any time to go down 17 and bank on a comeback.
Justin Girshon (14-4)
Tiger Torment
Syracuse 67, Clemson 84
Syracuse’s win on Saturday was great. Coming back from down 17 was something I didn’t think was possible, and a shockingly nice surprise that SU fought through adversity for a victory. It’s the type of game that can spark momentum going forward.
However, I don’t see that happening. Unfortunately for the Orange, they head down to Littlejohn Coliseum, the 31st-best home court advantage in college basketball, per KenPom. As Zak said above, SU hasn’t defeated Clemson on the road since 2017 and I don’t think there’s much optimism the streak will be broken this year.
Though PJ Hall and Joe Girard III are no longer with the program, the Tigers are still boosted by one of the best duos in the ACC in Hunter and Schieffelin. Beyond the tandem, Clemson has formidable depth, which has turned it into one of the best teams in the conference.
While the Orange have momentum coming into this game, so do the Tigers, who have won three straight. And behind their home court and a more talented squad than SU, I see them easily taking care of business on Wednesday.
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