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Syracuse returns to the JMA Wireless Dome Tuesday to take on UAlbany. The Orange are coming off back-to-back road losses. The first was a blowout loss to No. 3 Tennessee, followed by a close defeat to Notre Dame.

In South Bend, the Orange failed to hit a 3-pointer for the first time since 2014, while the Fighting Irish knocked down eight. Jyáre Davis and Donnie Freeman combined to score 40 points, but it wasn’t enough, as the Orange dropped their Atlantic Coast Conference opener.

Tuesday’s matchup against UAlbany is the first of a four-game stretch to close out Syracuse’s nonconference schedule. The Great Danes are the nation’s 231st-best team, according to KenPom, and SU’s third-worst opponent of the season.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (4-4, 0-1 ACC) will fare against UAlbany (6-4, 0-0 America East):

Zak Wolf (8-0)
Not-so-great Danes
Syracuse 73, UAlbany 63

Nothing’s been easy at the JMA Wireless Dome for Syracuse this season, no matter who it has played. With its recent performances, there’s no reason to believe that Tuesday will be any different. The Orange have struggled offensively without J.J. Starling, especially on the perimeter, highlighted by an 0-for-9 effort from 3 in South Bend.

With SU’s backcourt inconsistency, I expect a heavy dosage of SU’s frontcourt. Freeman and Davis combined for 40 points against Notre Dame, which provided the Orange with a boost in the minutes they played. Though it was just Davis’ third time in double figures this season, it was Freeman’s third in three games. The freshman’s 3-point game isn’t exactly polished yet, but when he decides to dominate inside, good things have happened for Syracuse.

UAlbany isn’t the most physically imposing team, and SU should take advantage down low. Eddie Lampkin Jr. has been quiet the past four games, averaging just 3.75 points per game, but I think he’ll get back on track. I don’t think the Orange can blow anyone out at this point, yet it’ll get the job done at home.

Aiden Stepansky (8-0)
Scraping by
Syracuse 76, UAlbany 69

This is another game the Orange should take control of: an in-state opponent from a lower conference that SU dominated in the past. But again, this is not your old Syracuse. The Great Danes will make this a game, and it won’t be easy. The Orange, however, will find a way to squeak by.

UAlbany posts the 242nd-best defensive efficiency in the nation at 108.7, per KenPom. This will plague the Great Danes, as Freeman and Davis will again dominate inside. Though, it won’t be pretty. SU’s shooting just 26% from 3. The mark ranks 352nd out of 364 teams, per KenPom, and without Starling, I see the trend continuing.

A lack of perimeter shooting from Syracuse will allow UAlbany to continue to stick around, making it close with minutes left. But in the end, Adrian Autry will continue to deploy his weapons down low, doing everything he can to get as many looks as possible to the big men. A close win will be just enough to prepare for the 100th-ever meeting in the Georgetown-Syracuse rivalry.

Justin Girshon (8-0)
Home W
Syracuse 74, UAlbany 67

The JMA Wireless Dome is exactly where Syracuse needs to be to get back in the win column. At home, the Orange are a perfect — yet imperfect — 4-0. Meanwhile, they’ve lost all four away games. UAlbany is also a perfect opponent for SU to play.

The Great Danes are ranked just outside KenPom’s bottom third and present the Orange another opportunity to break out against a mid-major team — something they haven’t done. In Syracuse’s four wins, it barely scraped by Le Moyne, Colgate, Youngstown State and Cornell.

While I see the Orange pulling out another win, I again see it ending in close fashion. As I mentioned before the Notre Dame game, this team doesn’t have an identity. While UAlbany is theoretically a get-right opponent, SU has shown nothing to this point that convinces me it’ll have an explosion Tuesday.

Starling’s absence surely doesn’t help, nor does an inability to hit a 3-pointer last time out. This team has many problems it can overcome to beat the Great Danes, but it won’t come in a convincing fashion.

Published on December 9, 2024 at 9:41 pm