Syracuse men’s basketball hopes to capitalize on its first ranked conference matchup against No. 16 North Carolina

Syracuse men’s basketball (13-9, 4-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) kicks off its first of five ranked conference games against No. 16 North Carolina (17-4, 5-3 ACC). Both teams clash on Monday at 7 p.m,

The Orange broke a four game ACC skid with a 86-72 win over Notre Dame on Saturday. SU guard Nate Kingz led all scorers with a career-high 28 points on 11-17 shooting. Head Coach Adrian Autry noted how his team’s ball movement allowed Kingz to flourish.

“I think the ball just moved more and he saw a couple go down. We talked about as a team trying to find guys like him and Tyler Betsey when we get a chance to get them some open looks because those guys shoot at an elite level. I thought the ball moved a lot, but I also thought he was more aggressive when he touched it,” he said.

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SU guard JJ Starling also compiled a season-high 21 points on 9-13 shooting and nailed 50% of his 3-point attempts. Autry reflected on the senior’s growth since transferring from the Irish to the Orange.

“His leadership in practice and his attitude set the tone. In this tough stretch, he’s really stepped up and I thought our young guys got behind him. It’s always special to play against your former teammates and play well and get a win,” he said.

However, Orange forward Donnie Freeman saw limited action coming off the bench for the second time all season. Syracuse’s leading scorer played just 22 minutes, the fewest in a game this year. The sophomore scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds while taking just four shots. Autry commented on the decision to play Freeman off the bench.

“I just thought in this game in particular, the matchups were a little bit better. We talked. He was ready to go. It was nothing but just strategic game planning,” he said.

On the other side, the Tar Heels are riding high on a three game conference winning streak. In its last game against Georgia Tech, UNC freshman Caleb Wilson recorded 22 points on 9-15 shooting. The guard also snagged six rebounds and dished out five assists. Wilson has led the Tar Heels in scoring in their last five games and ranks fourth in the ACC in points per outing.

North Carolina’s strength lies in its ball control. UNC turns the ball over under ten times an outing, the third fewest in the conference. SU combats with over seven steals a game, the fifth most in the ACC.

Free throw struggles have also been evident for both teams. The Orange shoot 63.4% from the line, the worst mark in the conference. Syracuse went 12-21 from the charity stripe in its victory over Notre Dame. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels shoot 67.6% from the line, the fourth lowest clip in the ACC. However, North Carolina missed just one free throw and shot 92% in its win over Georgia Tech.

Monday’s matchup will also feature a battle of the big men. The Cuse trots out William Kyle III, who scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Notre Dame. Kyle also blocked three shots and is third in the nation in that category with 2.7 rejections a game.

On the flip side, UNC sends out Henri Veesaar, who tallied 20 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks against Georgia Tech. The junior leads all centers in the ACC in points, field goal percentage and is second in rebounds.

Coverage begins on 88.3FM and waer.org with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.