Syracuse men’s basketball (17-10, 8-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) welcomes Notre Dame (9-16, 4-10 Atlantic Coast Conference) to the Dome on Saturday. The Orange look to move back over .500 in ACC play when it takes on a struggling Irish squad.
These two teams may be far from the top of the conference standings, but this matchup is sure to attract plenty of fans as SU Athletics has designated the game as “Jim Boeheim Day.” Saturday’s celebration of the legendary coach is the first to take place following his retirement after last season. John Wildhack, Syracuse’s Director of Athletics, explained the importance of this commemoration when it was announced back in October.
“Coach Boeheim is an iconic figure in Central New York and to all Orange fans and alumni around the world,” said Wildhack. “His remarkable career and commitment to Syracuse University and our community will never be replicated. February 24th will provide our fans the opportunity to celebrate and thank Coach Boeheim.”
The Orange come into Jim Boeheim Day fresh off a hard-fought 87-83 victory over NC State on Tuesday – and some of Boeheim’s former recruits showed up against the Wolfpack. Sophomore forward Chris Bell knocked down eight three-pointers in the first half and fellow second-year guard Judah Mintz had all 15 of his points in the second half.
SU forward Chris Bell is automatic. The sophomore started the game 6-for-6 from deep@CharlieBenAmi described the moment the sophomore hit his sixth consecutive triple.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) February 21, 2024
🎙️https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P, @waer883 pic.twitter.com/BUQVQhzttL
Though perhaps the most impressive performance at NC State came from another member of Boeheim’s excellent 2022 recruiting class: Quadir Copeland. Syracuse’s sixth man notched a career-high 25 points on 10-13 shooting.
“To be honest it was just clicking for me,” said Copeland. “I was just getting out in transition, getting to the basket – just doing what I do.”
Copeland is now fourth on the Orange in scoring, while Bell is third and Mintz is first – and all three of them were a part of Boeheim’s final recruiting class. But what about SU’s second-leading scorer? Well, that would be JJ Starling, who is in his first year at Syracuse after transferring in from Notre Dame.
Starling, a 2022 McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit, has stood out for SU and now gets a crack at his former team when the Orange play the Irish this weekend. Back before the season, the Baldwinsville native said coming home was a no-brainer.
“It was an easy decision to make: once I entered the transfer portal I knew where I was going.”
Starling has flourished with his new team as of late, hitting double-figures in 11 consecutive games. The sophomore hopes to stay hot when he plays against the Irish for the first time since leaving South Bend. Syracuse and Notre Dame square off at noon on Saturday for Jim Boeheim Day. WAER’s coverage starts with McClurg team Countdown to Tipoff at 11:30 a.m.