Syracuse men’s basketball (11-14, 5-9 Atlantic Coast Conference) faces North Carolina (14-11, 7-6 ACC) on Saturday in a matchup that once carried significant weight but now flies under the radar. Both historic programs are working to reclaim their place among the conference’s elite. For UNC, this game is critical as the Tar Heels sit on the NCAA Tournament bubble and need a key victory.
Last season’s meeting had similar stakes for Syracuse, or lack thereof, but not for North Carolina. The Tar Heels entered as a top-four NCAA Tournament seed, and the outcome raised few questions. Still, the Orange secured a signature win inside the Dome, providing a bright spot in an otherwise difficult season. Can Syracuse replicate that success this time around?
Despite losing second all-time leading scorer Armando Bacot, North Carolina’s offense hasn’t slowed down. The Tar Heels rank in the top three of the ACC, averaging over 80 points per game. Leading the charge is senior guard RJ Davis, a New York native and one of the conference’s top 10 scorers. After earning first-team All-American honors last season, Davis has scored in double figures in all but two games this year, posing a major challenge for the Orange defense.
“I think we need to do a better job closing out on guys, even if they’re not elite shooters,” said Syracuse guard Jaquan Carlos after Tuesday’s loss to Miami.
Davis, however, is an elite shooter, and if Syracuse hopes to contain him, its defense must improve. The Orange are coming off one of their worst defensive performances of the season, allowing 91 points to a Miami team that had won just five games prior to Tuesday’s matchup.
“You got to play defense in this game. You gotta be tough… you have to have the will and determination to stop people,” Orange head coach Adrian Autry said.
A key matchup to monitor is whether Syracuse guard JJ Starling can slow down Davis. Offensively, Starling has proven his ability to hold his own. While he didn’t receive as much preseason hype, the junior has been essential to the team’s success, averaging nearly 20 points per game. He enters Saturday’s game coming off back-to-back 25-point performances, but Autry was more concerned with the team’s overall effort.
“I was very disappointed in the effort. It had nothing to do with anything else except our effort and our defense, and we didn’t do that at all tonight,” said Autry.
Syracuse looks to turn things around with a win over North Carolina. The matchup is set for 6 p.m., with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff beginning at 5:30.