Syracuse men’s basketball (20-10, 11-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) hits the road to take on Clemson (20-9, 10-8 ACC) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the last game of the regular season.
On Saturday, Syracuse took down Louisville 82-76. All five SU starters scored in double figures, but head coach Adrian Autry was most impressed by forward Chris Bell’s performance. The sophomore led all scorers with 23 points, but Autry was more focused on the dirty work.
“I thought this was Chris Bell’s best game in the (Syracuse) uniform. He made some huge plays,” Autry raved. “Seven rebounds, three blocks. He made some huge blocks. I was really happy for him because that’s what we’ve been talking about. We need him to get in there and rebound, and tonight, he did that.”
Syracuse guard Chris Bell has made plays on both sides of the ball all night long.@EthanGFrank had the call for the sophomore's latest flashy defensive play.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) March 3, 2024
🎙️https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P, @waer883 pic.twitter.com/55SO1rCn8P
Syracuse and Clemson faced off less than a month ago on February 10. The Tigers prevailed 77-68 over the Orange in Joe Girard’s return to the Dome. SU trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, but tied things up with three minutes remaining in the contest. The visitors pulled away to secure the victory. After the game, Coach Autry lamented the fact that his team did not finish strong.
“This game was us,” Autry said. “We did what we needed to do to get back into the game, but in the last four minutes, we didn’t do the things we needed to do to win.”
Since the last meeting, Syracuse is 5-1 and riding a four-game win streak. Clemson is 4-2 in the same timeframe, including a loss to 11th-place Notre Dame on Saturday. Judah Mintz has averaged over 20 points for the Orange in that span, while Joe Girard has put up over 17 points per game for the Tigers.
This game will take place at the Tigers’ home arena: Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC. The Orange have not won at Littlejohn since 2017, with four losses after that. This year, Clemson boasts an 11-4 record on its home floor, but dropped a game there less than a month ago to North Carolina State, a team that Syracuse swept in the season series.
SU currently sits in fourth place in the ACC, which means it will receive two byes in the conference tournament if nothing changes. The ‘Cuse (11-8 ACC) are closely trailed in the conference by Clemson, Wake Forest, and Pittsburgh (all 10-8 in ACC play).
The 2023-24 campaign is almost over, and every game is major when it comes to the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. After the Louisville game, Coach Autry stood behind his squad leading into this do-or-die stretch.
“They have not let anything come between them,” Autry stated. “This group is resilient, tough, they believe in each other, and they have the ultimate confidence. And we have confidence in them as a staff.”
Syracuse and Clemson begin play on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tune in to 88.3 FM early for McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 6:30 p.m.