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Syracuse continued its late-season struggles by getting blown out, 96-76, by Georgia Tech on Tuesday night. The Orange allowed 53 points in the first half, and the Yellow Jackets had no trouble beating SU’s 2-3 zone, full-court press and even the SU’s man-to-man defense.

Next up for the Orange is Wake Forest, a team one spot ahead of them in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 71-69 loss against Boston College on Tuesday night. Syracuse needs a win — or a Boston College loss — to secure a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.

SU will be honoring the 2003 national championship team, and retiring the jerseys of Gerry McNamara and Hakim Warrick at halftime. Here’s everything to know about the Demon Deacons (18-12, 10-9 ACC) before Saturday afternoon’s regular season finale:

All-time series

Syracuse leads, 10-2.

Last time they played

Syracuse and Wake Forest met twice in a three-week span last January, and the Orange avenged a prior overtime loss in North Carolina with a 94-72 win at home. Syracuse scored 55 points in the second half, and Buddy Boeheim led the way with a season-high 30 points. Buddy hit six 3-pointers, and tacked on a game-high seven assists, too. Cole Swider had an efficient 8-for-11 shooting performance, and Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards combined for 25 points.

SU shot 57.1% from the field, the team’s third-best performance of the season, and over 52% from beyond the arc. Wake Forest led by three at halftime, but the Orange opened up a 15-point lead midway through the second half, behind a 26-8 run. The Demon Deacons shot just 42.3% in the second half and missed 8-of-12 3s. Daivien Williamson was their primary source of offense, registering 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting.

KenPom odds

Wake Forest has a 51% chance of winning, with a projected score of 80-79.

The Demon Deacons report

Wake Forest and Syracuse have had similar seasons. Both lost four nonconference games — including games to Loyola Marymount and LSU, outside of KenPom’s top 100 — before going on two brief spurts in ACC play. Wake Forest won four in a row in January after a loss to North Carolina, and three consecutive games in early February before losing at Miami. The Demon Deacons have collected wins over Duke, Clemson and Wisconsin this season, but have also lost three of their past four games.

Tyree Appleby has been the team’s go-to scoring option, leading the ACC with 18.7 points and averages 6.2 assists per game. The 6-foot-1 guard also tops the conference in minutes per game with 36.4, and ranks 22nd nationally in percentage of minutes played at 90%. Wake Forest has complimented Appleby with three other double digit scorers, including guards Damari Monsanto and Cameron Hildreth, who combine for over 25 points per game.

The Demon Deacons rank toward the bottom of the ACC in both offensive and defensive rebounding, with 6-foot-10 forward Andrew Carr being the top player at crashing the glass. Carr averages nearly six rebounds per game, and also notches a block per contest.

How Syracuse beats Wake Forest

Syracuse’s biggest problem recently has been stopping the 3-ball. Unfortunately for the Orange, the Demon Deacons rank second in the ACC — and top-40 nationally — with their 37.1% 3-point shooting percentage, and have hit at least 11 shots from deep in five-straight games. Wake Forest gets 36.9% of its points from beyond the arc — the third-highest rate in the ACC — and its shooting has been trending up over recent games.

SU will have to somehow limit open 3-pointers, or just hope Wake Forest misses its looks, if it hopes to win on Saturday. The Orange, who rank fourth in the ACC in 3-point shooting, have gone 0-4 this season against other teams ranked in the top five in that category.

On the other end, Edwards will have to find a way to convert against the inside tandem of 7-foot-1, 250-pound Matthew Marsh and 6-foot-10, 225-pound Bobi Klintman, who the Deacons rotate at center. Jim Boeheim has said Edwards has had trouble against bigger centers this season, and the center play will help determine whether Syracuse can keep up with Wake Forest. Girard and Judah Mintz have turned in strong games recently, and the Orange will need them and another scorer — perhaps Chris Bell or Benny Williams — to score.

Stat to know: 11.5%

Wake Forest ranks last in the ACC, and 343rd nationally, in block percentage at 11.5% and also last in the conference in total blocked shots this season. The Demon Deacons have only notched one game with more than seven blocks — nine against South Carolina State in November — compared to Syracuse’s nine games. The Orange rank second in the league in block percentage. It should give Edwards, Williams and Maliq Brown more opportunities to finish inside without fear of getting blocked.

Player to watch: Tyree Appleby, guard, No. 1

Appleby is simply the engine that makes Wake Forest go, and he has scored at least 15 points in all but four games this season. He had 23 points and six assists against Boston College on Tuesday, and dropped a season-high 35 points on North Carolina in early February. He’s a 37% 3-point shooter and hit five 3s against Notre Dame last Saturday. His ability to move the ball is crucial to the Demon Deacons, too, and he ranks 29th nationally in assist rate, per KenPom.

Syracuse’s ability to at least limit Appleby on Saturday will be one of the major keys to the Orange picking up a win and entering the ACC Tournament with some momentum.

Published on March 1, 2023 at 10:20 pm

Contact Connor: csmith49@syr.edu | @csmith17_