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

Syracuse got back in the win column by defeating California 75-66 Saturday. The game concluded SU’s two-game trip to the West Coast, which included a loss to Stanford last Wednesday. Against Cal, Lucas Taylor poured in a season-high 19 points while J.J. Starling added 18. The Orange led by 17 at halftime, but a couple of Cal runs in the second half cut SU’s lead to as low as six.

Ultimately, Syracuse came out with the win, boosting it to tie for 11th place in the ACC. If the Orange lost, missing out on the ACC tournament would’ve become a greater possibility. Due to the conference’s expansion, three teams don’t make it. For now, SU is a game and a half ahead of Boston College in 16th place.

Next up is SU’s biggest test of the season: No. 2 Duke. The Blue Devils have torn apart ACC opponents so far this season and are one of the best teams in the country. The Orange have lost nine straight games against Duke, with their last win coming in 2019.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (10-12, 4-7 ACC) will fare against No. 2 Duke (19-2, 11-0 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome Wednesday:

Zak Wolf (19-3)
Throw in the towel, now
Syracuse 53, Duke 78

Yeah, this one isn’t gonna be close. Sorry about my bluntness, but anyone with eyes can see this isn’t going to be competitive. Duke is way too talented for Syracuse to even hang around. There’s not really any deep analysis I can give other than Duke is better than Syracuse in every aspect.

The Blue Devils have everything. Size, shooting, athleticism and the best player in the nation in Cooper Flagg. The projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, Flagg gives the Orange a lot to handle on his own, but the rest of Duke’s roster is loaded with talent.

The only way this game is even remotely close is if Duke sleepwalks through portions of it or if Starling has a nuclear performance. Duke may go through lulls, but at that point, it will have built too big of a lead for Syracuse to get back into the game.

My dad often tells me, ‘You have to play the game,’ whenever I think a heavy underdog has no shot against a favorite. Like everyone else, I have selective hearing when it comes to my parents. I think that’s the case on this one. Duke by whatever it wants.

Aiden Stepansky (19-3)
Orange crush
Syracuse 54, Duke 80

No cheeky song lyrics this time around. No sugarcoating it. Syracuse will be destroyed by the Blue Devils.

SU’s win over Cal was a welcome sign of strong defense (through the zone and man-to-man), encouraging rebounding and efficient shooting. It’s the type of win that builds momentum toward an in-conference winning streak, possibly propelling it to climb the ACC standings. The Orange, however, are running into a buzzsaw showing no signs of stopping soon.

Duke enters as one of the scariest teams the ACC has seen in some time. Its size is devastating to the offenses it matches up against. It can shoot the 3 if need be through Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel. Overall, it shoots nearly 37% from deep. Oh yeah, and the Blue Devils are led by maybe the top American-born prospect of this generation.

Flagg’s game looks to be improving each time he touches the floor. Yes, we are all talking about him. But why would we not? A matchup with SU’s freshman star Donnie Freeman would’ve been cool to see, but Freeman remains out with a boot on his right foot. Instead, he’ll have to sit and watch Flagg and Co. decimate any chance of a massive Syracuse upset.

Justin Girshon (17-5)
The Brotherhood
Syracuse 57, Duke 79

On March 31, 2024, I was very confident Duke would beat NC State and advance to the Final Four. I think everyone who had the pleasure of being at 230 Euclid Ave. that day knew that. I was wrong.

The Blue Devils looked soft. Ten months later, they look terrorizing. With Duke’s imposing size — 6-foot-6 Proctor, Sion James and Mason Gillis are its smallest rotational players — it’s emerged as the third-best defense in the country, according to KenPom’s defensive rating.

Syracuse’s best form of offense comes when Starling goes downhill and attacks the rim. Even if he does shake free off the perimeter, I don’t like his chances near the rim where he’ll likely be met by old friend Maliq Brown, Flagg or Khaman Maluach.

Offensively, the Blue Devils are also elite, placing fifth in KenPom’s offensive efficiency. They are the only team in the nation with a top-five defense and offense. I don’t need to bore you, but Flagg is the best offensive player the Orange will face this year while Knueppel would be the first option on most other teams.

Unlike the soft iteration of Duke’s squad last year — where only six players could be relied on to score — the 2024-25 team is legitimately nine players deep and can score in a variety of ways. This is a matchup between two programs in completely different spots, and that’ll be extremely apparent on the hardwood.

Published on February 4, 2025 at 9:06 pm