In a few hours, Syracuse (19-12, 8-10 ACC) will begin the long arduous road towards a shot at a NCAA Tournament birth. The ACC Tournament takes place at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, and the 11th ranked Syracuse Orange play the 14th seeded Wake Forest Demon Deacons (11-19, 4-14 ACC).
While no game this season has been a gimme for the Orange, this match-up suits them well. CUSE beat WF at the Carrier Dome earlier this season, though they did fall on the road at Wake Forest. Overall, in 7 match-ups, CUSE holds the 6 – 1 edge. A win versus the Deac’s will bring about a tough Syracuse/North Carolina game.
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Tyus Battle was named to the USBWA First Team for District 2, joining 9 other players, including St. Bonaventure’s Jaylen Adams. Battle also recently passed 1,000 career points for the Orange, just the 62nd player to do so in Syracuse history, and Battle is just the 5th to do so as a Sophomore.
For predictions on the game, Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician has a team of experts picking the game. They also provide a handy guide of 5 things to watch for.
So it begins tonight at 7. Syracuse needs to win their first ACC Tournament game, for a chance to continue on and play the Tar Heels. Can Battle and Frank Howard get hot at the right time? Can Oshae Brissett play like the star he can be? Will the Orange struggle to get shots off before the :30 second clock expires? Tune in to ESPNU or the ACC Network to find out.
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