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Syracuse is on pace to have its worst in-conference record in program history. With four regular-season games remaining, the Orange have 11 losses in Atlantic Coast Conference play, tied for their most since joining the conference in 2013. One more defeat would mark the first time in team history that SU loses 12 conference games.

Due to the ACC’s expansion to 18 teams, Syracuse’s horrid performance could lead it to miss the conference tournament. The bottom three will miss the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina, which will be held from March 11-15.

SU is currently in 15th place, just a game ahead of Boston College and NC State for the tournament’s final seed. If the Orange don’t qualify, it’ll be the only time they’ve failed to make the postseason — other than in 2014-15, due to a self-imposed postseason ban.

Here’s a breakdown of the schedules for the bottom five teams in the ACC across the final two weeks of the regular season:

Miami

ACC Record: 2-14, 18th Place
Remaining Opponents: No. 2 Duke (H), North Carolina (A), Georgia Tech (A), NC State (H)

The only reason Miami has an outside shot of making the ACC Tournament is that it defeated Syracuse on Feb. 11. Without that loss, SU wouldn’t have to worry about the Hurricanes jumping it in the conference standings. Still, Miami’s path remains steep.

The Hurricanes have been the worst team in the ACC all season. On Dec. 26, 2024, head coach Jim Larrañaga stepped down. At that point, Miami was 4-8 and had lost eight of its previous nine games. Since Bill Courtney took over, the Hurricanes have won just two games.

They host Duke on Tuesday — which has lost one ACC game this campaign — before traveling to take on North Carolina. If Miami wins both games, it could have a slight chance at a postseason bid, facing Georgia Tech and NC State to finish the regular season.

NC State

ACC Record: 4-12, 17th Place
Remaining Opponents: Syracuse (A), Georgia Tech (A), Pittsburgh (H), Miami (A)

NC State’s remaining schedule isn’t that difficult. It plays three road games but doesn’t face an above .500 ACC team. The Wolfpack’s hardest game will be at Georgia Tech Saturday, while their most important is against Syracuse Wednesday.

“Whether Syracuse or our records are what they are, it will still be important for us, because we want to try to finish as strong as we can going down the stretch,” NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said at his weekly media availability Monday.

A win Wednesday would leapfrog it over the Orange in the standings. The Wolfpack have won two of their last three games against SU. After next playing Georgia Tech on the road, NC State hosts an above-average Pitt team before closing out the regular season against last-placed Miami on March 8.

NC State went on an improbable run last year, winning five games in five days as the No. 10 seed to win the ACC Tournament. That included a second-round win over Syracuse. It used that momentum to spearhead an even more shocking Final Four appearance as an 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This season has been different for the Wolfpack, as they’ve struggled without DJ Horne and DJ Burns.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Director

Boston College

ACC Record: 4-12, 16th Place
Remaining Opponents: Stanford (A), Cal (A), No. 13 Clemson (H), Pittsburgh (A)

BC might have the hardest remaining schedule among these five teams. It travels out west to face Cal and Stanford before hosting No. 13 Clemson on March 5. The Tigers have only lost two ACC games this season and have won four straight games, including a victory over No. 2 Duke.

Despite their difficult stretch, the Eagles have been hot lately. They won back-to-back games over Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech last week, the first time they’ve won two straight games in conference play all season.

Boston College could easily be higher in the standings if it weren’t for a triple-overtime loss to Syracuse and a double-overtime loss to Notre Dame within four days. Against the Fighting Irish, BC led by as many as 14 in the second half. Versus SU, it led by seven in the second overtime.

Syracuse

ACC Record: 5-11, 15th Place
Remaining Opponents: NC State (H), Virginia Tech (A), SMU (A), Virginia (H)

Syracuse is trending in the wrong direction, losing three straight games. Luckily though, it has two favorable games at home against NC State and Virginia. A win over the Wolfpack on Wednesday would give the Orange a two-game cushion with three games remaining.

“We organically talk about preparing for the next opponent and winning the game. Everyone knows what’s at stake,” SU head coach Adrian Autry said Monday. “At the end of the day, we just want to get prepared and try to win in the next game.”

A loss against the Wolfpack could spell bad news for Syracuse as it heads into a two-game road trip against Virginia Tech and SMU. The Orange haven’t won in Blacksburg since 2020. However, the Hokies have lost two of their last three, falling to Boston College and Virginia.

SMU is currently on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Mustangs are in the “first four out” category, meaning they’ll be desperate not to slip up against Syracuse on March 4.

If SU steals a game on the road and takes care of business at home, it’ll likely make the ACC Tournament.

University of California

ACC Record: 5-11, 14th Place
Remaining Opponents: SMU (H), Boston College (H), No. 19 Louisville (A), Notre Dame (A)

In its first season in the ACC, Cal still has work to do to make the conference tournament.

Like Syracuse, the Golden Bears sit a game ahead of the pack, tied for the ACC Tournament’s final seed. But they’ve struggled down the stretch. They hold the ACC’s longest losing streak (four), and another slip-up could prove costly. Cal next has a home challenge against SMU, which defeated the Golden Bears 76-65 on Jan. 29.

A loss against the Mustangs would put pressure on Cal before a meeting with Boston College. If the Golden Bears fail to win that, the Eagles will jump them in the ACC standings. Cal concludes the regular season with road games against No. 19 Louisville and Notre Dame.

Published on February 24, 2025 at 8:54 pm

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