Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

The Orange climbed back to .500 on the season with a double-digit victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The Panthers were among the conference’s worst teams, and besides a slip-up in the first half, Syracuse dominated on both ends of the floor. The offense was rolling, and head coach Jim Boeheim said the defense was the best it’s been all year.

Now the Orange will look to continue that momentum on Saturday when they face Florida State for the second time this season.

Here’s what our beat writers think will happen when FSU plays in the Carrier Dome at 3 p.m.:

Andrew Crane (10-6)
Not this time
Florida State 75, Syracuse 70

A primary reason why Syracuse left Tallahassee with a win on Dec. 4 was because Florida State shot 4-for-30 on its 3-point attempts, falling into the trap of the zone while blowing its halftime lead in the process. I don’t see a similar scenario unfolding in the Carrier Dome on Saturday, though, even with the Seminoles’ struggles from behind the arc this year when compared to the last two seasons. FSU successfully limited Buddy Boeheim and held him to six points on 3-of-10 shooting, and if it’s able to replicate that defensive strategy, that could impact SU’s ability to string points together given that players shot 1-for-9 from behind the arc against Pittsburgh if Buddy’s 5-for-8 line is removed.

The Orange improved defensively in their last game, and Boeheim said postgame that their defense was “by far the best it’s been all year.” But, again, that came against the Panthers — one of the conference’s worst teams. The Seminoles just found a way to defeat Miami, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference’s hottest team and winner of nine in a row. Look for them to limit Buddy, force Jesse Edwards into foul trouble and capitalize on an ever-porous SU defense.

Roshan Fernandez (9-7)
Payback
Florida State 80, Syracuse 76

Syracuse was fortunate to come out of Tallahassee with a win in early December, but that was a rough stretch for the Seminoles (the second of three straight losses). This time, they’ll come to the Carrier Dome off two straight wins — including one over the conference-leader Miami — behind a top-100 offense and defense, per KenPom. The Orange’s defense improved against Pitt, but again, that was against a bottom-feeder in the ACC. I think the defensive issues will resurface against a better opponent in Florida State. I doubt FSU feels the Orange deserved to escape with a road win in their first meeting, so the Seminoles will get payback for that when they travel to central New York.

Gaurav Shetty (10-6)
Lightning strikes twice?
Syracuse 74 Florida State 72

Syracuse got a little lucky against Florida State the first time around as the Seminoles shot poorly from 3 in a game that was decided by just three points. Both teams coincidentally ended that game 22-for-63 from the field, obviously not a great mark. Even though I’ve picked Syracuse to win this game, I don’t think they’ve turned a corner just yet. Boeheim was happy with how his defense played against Pittsburgh, but the Panthers are not very good and will likely finish near the bottom of the ACC.

What was concerning was how close the first half was. Syracuse scraped a one-point lead at the buzzer. Pitt kept it close by shooting well from 3 in the first half, though it completely fell apart in the second. Syracuse’s defense will always face an uphill battle if the other team shoots well from 3, which is why I’m backing the Orange to win on Saturday. FSU has shot 6-for-20, 8-for-23 and 4-for-25 from 3 in its last three games. It’ll be a close game, but the Seminoles’ offense doesn’t have what it takes to top Syracuse.

Published on January 14, 2022 at 9:33 pm