Syracuse (16-9, 7-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) is coming off its best win of the season with an upset over No. 7 North Carolina. The Orange look to carry that momentum to Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech (10-15, 3-11 ACC) on Saturday.
The Orange defeated a top-10 team for the first time since 2019.
“This game today was the best game we’ve played all year,” head coach Adrian Autry said following Tuesday’s victory. “I thought that everyone who played in the game was outstanding.”
Four of SU’s five starters recorded double-digit points. Guards Judah Mintz and JJ Starling combined for 48 points. With six games remaining, Syracuse secured a big win to stay somewhat relevant in March Madness conversations.
“We needed it,” said Autry on Tuesday. “We played well against Clemson, and we didn’t pull it out. But to be able to bounce back a couple days later, I’m sure no one thought we could win the game, I was just happy for these guys. It was big.”
Let’s switch our attention from the past to the future. The ‘Cuse travels to Georgia Tech this weekend.
This is a must-win game for the Orange. The Yellow Jackets have won just three conference affairs this season. However, two of those victories for Georgia Tech came against North Carolina and Duke.
Most recently, GT has dropped four straight. The Yellow Jackets’ leading scorer is guard Miles Kelly. The sophomore is averaging over 14 points this season. Kelly has posted 47 points in his last two contests.
While Syracuse has taken advantage of Georgia Tech by winning its last four of five matchups, the Yellow Jackets beat the Orange by 20 points in the Dome last season, under former SU head coach Jim Boeheim.
Saturday marks Autry’s first matchup against Georgia Tech as head coach. He thinks that the team is meshing at the right time.
“The team is jelling right now,” said Autry. “We’ve had some tough losses. Through all of that, it bonds you. I think these guys are confident and are starting to turn that corner.”
Along with Mintz and Starling, forward Chris Bell has been playing well as of late. The sophomore has 30, 16, and 13 points, respectively, in the last three contests. Bell has knocked down 15 of his last 27 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Orange can stay hot against the Yellow Jackets on Saturday at 5:30. Georgia Tech is tied with Louisville for the worst record in ACC play at 3-11. WAER’s coverage of McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff starts at 5.