Syracuse (13-9, 5-4 Atlantic Coast) travels to Raleigh, North Carolina, in search of its first road win in a battle with North Carolina State (14-8, 3-6) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Orange is coming off a momentous upset of No. 6 Florida State, while Louisville thumped the Wolfpack on Sunday.

Here’s everything you need to know about Mark Gottfried’s squad.

All-time series: Syracuse holds a 6-3 advantage

Last time they played: On Senior Day, Michael Gbinije poured in a season-high 34 points to lead Syracuse to a 75-66 win over N.C. State in the Carrier Dome. Gbinije shot a lights-out 8-of-13 from behind the arc, while Malachi Richardson and Tyler Lydon each scored in double digits. Four scored in double figures for the Wolfpack, led by Caleb Martin’s 18. But N.C. State only shot 23.5 percent (4-of-17) from 3-point range as Syracuse’s seniors finished their Carrier Dome careers on a high note.

The N.C. State report: The Wolfpack’s three conference wins have come against Virginia Tech (by 26, when N.C. State scored a whopping 104 points), against Pittsburgh and at Duke. Like Syracuse, Gottfried’s side has struggled to win away from home with a 1-5 record outside of Raleigh. According to Kenpom.com, N.C. State ranks 49th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and 170th in defensive efficiency. Five different players average double digits, and the team shoots a respectable 47.7 percent from the field.

How Syracuse beats the Wolfpack: Simple. Stop Dennis Smith Jr. In N.C. State’s 15-point loss to Louisville on Sunday, David Levitch held Smith to a season-low eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. As he goes, so does N.C. State. Obviously the Orange won’t man mark him, but Smith is equally capable of scoring and dishing off, as shown by his 19 points and 6.5 assists per contest. The top of the zone will have to prevent penetration from Smith and have a watchful eye on him at all times when the ball isn’t in his hands. Against Duke, he went off for 32 points, including the game-sealing steal and dunk, so that’s a glimpse at what he’s capable of. Oh, and he’s a freshman.

Stat to know: 6.1 – The Wolfpack blocks 6.1 percent of opponents’ shots, the 10th-highest mark in the country, per Kenpom.

Player to watch: Dennis Smith Jr., guard, No. 4

He may be the best freshman in the country, projected as a Top 5 NBA Draft pick already and maybe even the No. 1 overall selection. Smith shoots 44.8 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from 3 and 72 percent from the line. On top of averaging team highs in points and assists, he chips in 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per contest while playing a team-high 33.7 minutes per game.

Published on February 1, 2017 at 12:23 am

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman