In the midst of a four-game losing streak, Syracuse men’s basketball (12-9, 3-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) has turned a once-promising start to conference play into a disaster. It has sunk toward the bottom of the ACC, as it welcomes Notre Dame (11-10, 2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) to the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday.
SU entered a Quad 1 opportunity against NC State on Tuesday flustered and conceded its largest loss of conference play. But the Orange have an auspicious opportunity for a get-right game against the Fighting Irish.
Although no squad in the conference is in as large of a drought as the ‘Cuse, ND has struggled mightily as well. Its first conference game was a victory over Stanford, but it followed the win up with five consecutive losses.
Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry knows four straight defeats — the worst stretch of his head coaching tenure — don’t come by coincidence. Whether it is different rotations with players filling different positions, Autry isn’t afraid to make them before Saturday.
Syracuse basketball HC Adrian Autry explains more what he meant by his "everything is on the table" comment from the NC State postgame press conference. pic.twitter.com/AtPg3qn6Np
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) January 29, 2026
The biggest issue he’ll need to address is the defense because on offense, the Orange are scoring effectively. Against the Wolfpack, they had two players eclipse 17 points. Even last Saturday against Miami, SU converted nearly half its attempts.
The ‘Cuse can go pound for pound with almost any offense in the conference. But its defense, at times, can’t make a stop. Syracuse has allowed at least 76 points in its last seven matchups.
“Too many breakdowns, and they made us pay every time,” Autry said after the 88-68 loss to NC State. “They capitalized on every mistake, and in this league, you can’t do that.”
The good news for SU is that Notre Dame gives it margin for error. The Fighting Irish averaged just 57.5 points in their lone pair of conference wins. They also barely shoot over 40% from the field and 30% from deep in ACC contests.
The ‘Cuse doesn’t have to worry about a lethal playmaker to defend, as ND guard Markus Burton, who averages 18.5 points per game, is still sidelined indefinitely with an ankle injury.
SU can take a sight of relief, as it’s only four days removed from facing a twitchy guard in Quadir Copeland. The former Orange floor general paced the Wolfpack with 19 points and a game-high nine assists.
Ex-Orange player Quadir Copeland went ballistic with 19 points and nine assists for NC State tonight.
— WAER Sports Talk (@WAERSportsTalk) January 28, 2026
The performance drew reactions from another former player about Copeland's departure from SU, much to the humor of hosts @GriffinMarcy1 and @Dellie_1.
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☎️ 315-443-2011 pic.twitter.com/FYkrvLRCTT
“We were trying to guard him, tried to make it difficult for him,” Autry said. “He’s the main guy on the scouting report.”
SU will have to make it difficult for second-leading scorer Jalen Haralson, who averages 15 per game but also isn’t a threat from deep with a measly 23% clip.
Still, the Orange can continue riding their offensive momentum. After a small slump, forward Donnie Freeman broke 20 points for the first time in two weeks against NC State, and even guard J.J. Starling found his footing with 17.
SU’s largest issue Tuesday was Naithan George’s 2-12 clip from the field, and he’ll have a lot to clean up before facing Notre Dame on Saturday.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET on Saturday on 88.3 FM and waer.org. Coverage begins with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 5:30.