Syracuse Basketball Schedule Look Ahead: The Next Five Games

Analyzing the upcoming opponents for the Orange.

Syracuse is in uncharted waters right now, ones with rogue waves, hallowing winds, and trouble for all those on deck. At this point, the Orange owns a 7-8 overall record, making it the furthest point in a season the program has ever been under the five-hundred mark since Jim Boeheim took over as head coach.

For those wondering, that was back in 1976, when Rocky was the number one movie, Jimmy Carter came into office, and when Peyton Manning was born.

But at least to a certain degree, Syracuse fans should be well acquainted with turbulence by now. Over the past few years, the Orange have struggled to live up to their program’s prestigious history, bobbing up and down on the tournament threshold seemingly every spring

This year, Syracuse’s postseason hopes already looked well submerged. The “tough conference” excuse no longer applies, and the losses just keep stacking up.

But regardless, some exciting basketball is still yet to be played with it still only being January. As the Orange look to salvage what they can from here on out, their next five games go as follows.

Tuesday, Jan. 11 vs Pittsburgh

Like the Orange, the Panthers look a bit lost right now. Their 6-9 record has them slated a few spots below Syracuse within the ACC standings, as they continue to play without second-leading scorer Ithiel Horton.

However, they did just pull out a late game victory over Boston College, which is more than can be said for the Orange—the losers of three straight heartbreakers. But when looking at Pittsburgh from a wider lense, especially in comparison to Syracuse, they do seem like an ideal team to help the Orange get back on track.

No ACC team scores fewer points than Pittsburgh, averaging just 62.4 per game. With the Orange surrendering 75.5 points per game to their opponents, the most in the conference, playing a less adept offensive team like the Panthers cuts them some slack where they need it most.

Saturday, Jan. 15 vs Florida State

The Orange opened up their conference schedule winning against the Seminoles earlier this year, clawing their way to a 63-60 victory on the road. Cole Swider came through with arguably his best game to date, dropping 16 points to help snap a 25-game winning streak for Florida State at home.

But even with that game being played over a month ago, the 'Noles have not seen too many other teams since then, at one point missing three straight contests due to COVID-19 related complications.

They did get back on track over the past week and a half though, winning two of their three contests played in the new year. Also with a superior 8-5 overall record, they pose a much stronger threat to the Orange than Pittsburgh. Their defense especially stands out as a possible issue for Syracuse, averaging a conference-best 10.0 team steals per game. The Orange turned it over 39 times in their last three games, certainly needing to sharpen things up before this one tips off.

Tuesday Jan. 18 vs Clemson

Sporting a 10-5 record, the Tigers find themselves enjoying a solid 2021-22 campaign thus far. Their most recent win came at the hands of NC State, where Sophomore forward PJ Hall dropped 20 points and came up with a season-high four blocked shots.

But even with Hall inflicting his will down low, Clemson hits its opponents the hardest from outside, shooting a conference-best 40.9 percent on triples.

With the Orange still committed to that 2-3 defense, the Tigers are more likely than not to blitz Syracuse from outside. The zone will have to be fast with its rotations or else this could easily snowball into a blowout.

Saturday Jan. 22 at Duke

The Blue Devils represent the ACC as its lone ranked team right now. They clearly embody the most intimidating force for Syracuse amidst this five-game stretch, likely to hurt the Orange from several different angles.

Granted, Duke just went down in a thriller against Miami to put their record at 12-2, but three more games still stand between them and this pending matchup with Syracuse, giving them some time to rediscover their groove.

Averaging conference-bests with 83.3 points per game on 48.5 percent shooting, no ACC team performs at a higher level offensively than the Blue Devils. Sticking with that will be tough, but with Syracuse’s love for the 3-point shot, they carry a better chance to do so than most.

The Orange are the only ACC team with multiple guys in the top-10 for 3-point field goals made in Buddy Boeheim, Cole Swider, and Joe Girard III. If they lock in, the Orange can quiet the Cameron Crazies and dig for the upset.

Tuesday Jan. 25 at Pittsburgh

The Orange stay on the road to play the Panthers one more time during the regular season. By this point, hopefully Syracuse will have ascended past the five hundred mark with only 10 other games left in the season.

With this game played under Pitt’s roof though, they naturally draw an additional advantage. The Panthers are one of just three ACC teams without a road win this year, making this game more likely for them to take than the one prior.

Also with the game in Pittsburgh, Syracuse needs to watch out for any “home whistles” even with respect to the officials. Pitt already averages the most free-throw attempts per game in the conference, so the Orange must play clean and disciplined basketball.