Off to 2-0 to start 2026, Syracuse men’s basketball (11-5, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) faces Florida State (7-9, 0-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) for the JMA Wireless Dome’s first matchup of the new year.
The Orange enter this contest coming off a convincing 83-72 road win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. After taking a 4-2 lead in the second minute, SU remained in control the rest of the way. The Orange led by as much as 18 in the second half and, despite a rally that brought the Panthers within seven points, finished the job and improved to 2-1 in conference play.
A dominant first half and clutch shots down the stretch propelled @Cuse_MBB to an 83-72 win over @Pitt_MBB.@Nico_Horning and @adamhipsky had the call from the Petersen Events Center. pic.twitter.com/KfiHjziGUD
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 10, 2026
“I thought our guys did a really good job of sticking to the game plan. We knew they (Pittsburgh) had some really good shooters and we wanted to make it tough for them. We wanted to have a level five communication of where those guys were at. I thought our guys executed the game plan really well,” said SU head coach Adrian Autry.
Heading into Tuesday’s matchup with Florida State, Syracuse is anchored by its big man who hasn’t missed a beat since returning from injury. Orange forward Donnie Freeman dropped 22 points against Pittsburgh, leading all Orange scorers. After missing six weeks with a foot injury, Freeman has led SU in points in all of his three games since returning. The sophomore put up 18 in a loss to Clemson and had a career-high 27 in a win over Georgia Tech.
Once @Cuse_MBB forward Donnie Freeman started scoring, he didn't stop.@adamhipsky was on the mic for the sophomore's crucial connection from deep.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 10, 2026
📻@Waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGXTn pic.twitter.com/FmggJihlk9
“I couldn’t do it without the people around me. … They lifted me up in tough moments, and this was a tough game but I couldn’t do it without the people around me,” Freeman said.
Florida State, on the other hand, took a beating from NC State on Saturday in a 113-69 win for the Wolfpack. The Seminoles gave up an 11-0 run to start the game and allowed 100 points for just the second time all year. The loss marked Florida State’s largest at home in program history.
“I’ve seen over the past few weeks that we’re capable. It’s more if we’re willing to hold each other accountable as teammates. And I’ve seen it sporadically, which is why as a team we’re inconsistent right now,” said Florida State head man Luke Loucks.
Syracuse ended Florida State’s season last year with a 66-62 win in the first round of the ACC Tournament. However, the Seminoles defeated the Orange 90-74 earlier that season. A win for SU would be its first over FSU at home in nearly 10 years.
Tipoff between Syracuse and Florida State is Tuesday at 9 p.m. McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff starts at 8:30 p.m.
