With its trip to memorable trip to Hawaii over, Syracuse (4-2, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) made the long trip back to central New York but doesn’t have much time to rest. LSU (4-2, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) makes the trip north to the dome for the first-ever ACC-SEC Challenge.
The ACC-Big Ten Challenge was a staple in the college basketball calendars for nearly 25 years. Syracuse went 4-6 in the event with a number of memorable games including the double overtime thriller against Indiana in 2022. The Big 12-SEC Challenge which this event also replaces was around for just 10 years. LSU went 2-4 and didn’t participate for four years.
The ‘Cuse enters the contest off a 49-point victory against division two Chaminade. The Orange shared the ball successfully.
“Watching the last couple of games, especially (in Hawaii), I thought the ball kind of stuck in people’s hands,” said head coach Adrian Autry after SU’s win over Chaminade. “So we wanted to really make an emphasis on passing and sharing.”
The bounceback game for the Orange was much needed after back-to-back losses against top 15 teams in the country. SU had a chance to comeback late in both games though which gave sophomore forward Chris Bell a lot of confidence.
“I feel like we could be one of the top teams in the country once we lock in and focus,” said Bell.
While taking part in these midseason challenges is something Syracuse and LSU have in common. The route to the event for both teams looks different. The Tigers took part in the Charleston Classic and battled in all three games.
LSU lost its opening matchup in South Carolina against Dayton, who lost the championship game to #6 Houston. The Tigers bounced back with close wins against North Texas and Wake Forest.
When @Cuse_MBB takes on @LSUBasketball tomorrow night, here are three players to keep an ear out for:
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) November 28, 2023
🐯Jordan Wright - Averaged double-digit points for three straight seasons
🐯Will Baker - LSU's leading scorer at 16.3 PPG
🐯Tyrell Ward - Leads the team shooting 43% from… pic.twitter.com/htGuQTzbVA
Last time out, like Syracuse, LSU had an easier task against North Florida. The Tigers dismantled the Ospreys with the help of six steals from guard Mike Williams. Head Coach Matt McMahon gave his freshman star a lot of credit.
“I think Mike Williams had six steals and did a really nice job with putting pressure on the basketball,” said McMahon.
LSU, just like Syracuse has had much of its success this season when pushing the pace and playing with tempo. The first edition of the ACC-SEC Challenge features two teams who have had similar paths. The Orange and Tigers get underway at 7 p.m. WAER's coverage starts at 6:30 p.m. with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff.