The Florida State Seminoles play host to the Syracuse Orange in an interesting ACC showdown on Wednesday night from the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Only one game separates the two in the ACC standings heading into this mid-week tilt and with the ACC Tournament quickly approaching, the outcome of this one could dictate who gets the higher seed. These two are yet to square off this season but with Syracuse getting back into the win column the last time out, they might have some confidence to bring into this matchup.
Syracuse finds itself on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tournament and with their NET Ranking of 98, it's likely that they'll need to win the ACC Tournament to find themselves playing in March. They have a 14-10 record overall and going on the road has been a challenge for this group. They have a 4-4 record in true road games and are 5-5 in total games away from home, though Florida State could be a good opportunity for them to grab a road win. The Orange just won on the road over the weekend, taking down Boston College, which helped to snap their three-game losing streak. Grabbing a win against the struggling Seminoles is a must for this group, especially with the schedule coming up. With NC State, Duke, Clemson, and Pittsburgh, representing their next four games, it could be a few weeks before they are a favorite in another game.
The Orange have one injury that they continue to navigate as they stay on the road for this one. Peter Carey (knee) was ruled out for the season in mid-January, just a few weeks ago, though his absence isn't likely to alter the outcome in this one. Having only appeared in three games and not scoring a point on the season, there shouldn't be too much concern.
?? Jesse Edwards after his career-high 27-point performance pic.twitter.com/S5cOiJ6bMX
— Syracuse Men's Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) February 5, 2023
Syracuse's offense has been one of the best in the ACC this season and considering Florida State's struggles on the defensive side of things, the Orange might be able to simply outscore their opponents in this one. The Seminoles rank near the bottom of the ACC in three-point defense, though with Syracuse carrying a few sharpshooters into this one, they could extend their lead quickly in this one. Beyond that, expect the Syracuse 2-3 zone to do its job too. The Seminoles have struggled from three-point range themselves and without much experience, navigating this unique defense could be an issue. With three double-figure scorers carrying the brunt of the load, expect Joe Girard III (16.6 ppg) to use his experience to their advantage, while Jesse Edwards (14.0 ppg, 10.1 rpg) should have no issues dominating inside.
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