Now 5-4 in the ACC after an upset-fashion win over Florida State on Saturday, Syracuse takes its two-game win streak back to the place where it has struggled this season: anywhere outside the Carrier Dome.
The Orange are set to take on NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina tomorrow night at 7 p.m. And with that, SU is set to take on one of its final chances to prove itself on the road this season.
Here is what Syracuse has going for itself heading into tomorrow night’s game:
Momentum
It’s only a two-game win streak, but it’s an important one. (And it’s definitely better than a two-game losing streak.) With momentum comes confidence, especially after finally nabbing a win against a ranked opponent this season.
The Orange has progressively gotten better throughout this year as well. SU began its 2016-2017 campaign with easy wins over non-conference opponents, then ran into some trouble where worry that the team’s season might come to an early end rose. Then Coach Boeheim started to explain that the Orange defense was becoming more lively, and now the conversation is that the offense has come alive against Wake Forest and FSU.
Boeheim has said in a few different post-game press conferences now that Syracuse has played its best game yet.
As for playing away, Boeheim said it best: “the court’s the same.” Now, probably playing at its best all season, Syracuse has to be as well.
NC State has Not Played Well in the ACC
Even with a rather sparkling 14-8 overall record so far this season, NC State has not fared well in the ACC. The Wolfpack is only at a 3-6 mark in the conference so far.
After beginning its season by going 11-2 over its first 13 games, NC State’s season has started to waver. Over its last ten games overall, NC State is under .500, at 4-6.
The Wolfpack has run into some trouble against Miami, North Carolina, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Louisville. That list includes some teams which SU has defeated this season.
In those losses, NC State has only scored 70 or more points twice. The Wolfpack has only done it in five out of nine ACC games.
As long as Syracuse remembers and executes the fundamentals of basketball in tomorrow night’s game, the Orange have a good chance of forcing NC State’s ACC trouble to continue.
After tomorrow’s game against the Wolfpack, the Orange only has four games off the hill remaining on the schedule: Syracuse will play at Clemson, Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech and Louisville. To take some pressure off of those games, SU has to secure a win tomorrow night.
