Syracuse (14-9, 7-5 Atlantic Coast) looks to create another win-streak in a home matchup with North Carolina State (15-8, 6-6) Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome. The Orange bounced back after two-straight losses with a win over Wake Forest last Saturday that came courtesy of a game-winning Brycen Goodine layup.

Here’s what to know about NC State ahead of its game against Syracuse.

All-time series: Syracuse leads 7-5

Last time they played: North Carolina State dominated the Orange 73-58 on Feb. 13, 2019. Braxton Beverly led NC State in scoring with 21 points, and Frank Howard matched that point total for Syracuse. But the Orange couldn’t overcome an off-night from Tyus Battle, who shot 33% and scored just seven points.

The NC State report: The Wolfpack, who started the season strong and firmly placed themselves around the top of the ACC, fell off a little bit recently and now sit behind SU in the conference standings. Though the Wolfpack suffered three-straight losses recently, a balanced scoring approach keeps them a threat in any game.

C.J. Bryce and Markell Johnson have nearly identical scoring averages to lead NC State, and Johnson is its top distributor as well. This allows NC State to be one of the most efficient offenses in the nation with a 110.2 adjusted efficiency per KenPom. It’ll play clean basketball and score efficiently.

How Syracuse beats the Wolfpack: Syracuse needs its offense to reemerge. Though Syracuse has not played poorly lately, it could use a big performance to stave off a North Carolina State team that during its best stretches of the season steadily scored between 65 and 77 points. Syracuse has much more firepower and if its shooters get hot, that could be too much for the Wolfpack to handle.

Stat to know: 7.5 — NC State’s non-steal turnover percentage, one of the 15 lowest rates in the country. The Wolfpack are crisp with their passing and communication.

KenPom odds: The Orange have a 65% chance of winning the game with a final score of 77-72, per KenPom.

Player to watch: Markell Johnson, No. 11, guard

Johnson has the ability to score at a high level — evident by a 27-point performance earlier in the year — and also has 11 seven-plus assist performances to his credit this year. He’s a rare player that can damage SU from anywhere, and will have to put on a solid performance for NC State to win.

Published on February 11, 2020 at 12:25 am

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary