Syracuse University
Clemson
Orange Open ACC Play with Clemson on New Year’s Eve
12/29/2025 12:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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Syracuse (9-4) opens its ACC schedule against Clemson (10-3) at the JMA Wireless Dome on New Year's Eve.
A Look Back at Non-Conference
Syracuse wrapped up its non-conference slate just over a week ago with a 77-48 triumph over Stonehill, finishing the non-conference slate at 9-4.
Defense defined the early portion of the schedule as the Orange held their first three opponents to 50 points or less, defeating Binghamton, Delaware State and Drexel by an average of 36 points. Syracuse closed the beginning of its non-conference contests with a home win over Monmouth to start 4-0 before heading west.
The Orange traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the Players Era Festival, facing three of the nation's elite programs. Syracuse pushed last year's NCAA Runner-Up Houston to overtime before falling to Kansas and Iowa State. All three squads are ranked in the current Associated Press Poll.
Following the Las Vegas trip, Syracuse returned for a six-game homestand, going 5-1 to close out non-conference play. The Orange opened the stretch with a marquee victory over then-ranked No. 13 Tennessee.
Syracuse finished 8-1 at home during non-conference play with an average scoring margin of 15.9 points. Through 13 total games, the Orange have held foes to 64.8 points per contest, the 25th best mark in Division I.
Despite playing the bulk of its non-conference itinerary without leading scorer Donnie Freeman, who missed the last nine contests with an injury, Syracuse found production across the roster.
After missing the first few games of the season, senior J.J. Starling hasn't missed a beat since coming back to the court. The veteran guard is averaging 12.4 points per contest since returning and delivered a 20-point performance against Stonehill heading into ACC play.
Senior William Kyle III has provided on both ends of the floor. The transfer has excelled defensively in his first 13 games in orange, racking up 43 blocks at a clip of 3.31 per contest, both ranking second in Division I. His 43 blocks comfortably lead the ACC, 13 more than Virginia's Ugonna Onyenso. He has contributed offensively as well, averaging 10.5 points while throwing down a team-high 27 dunks.
Junior Naithan George came to Syracuse after spending two seasons at Georgia Tech, bringing experience in the highly competitive ACC. He enters the conference opener riding consecutive 22-point performances, the highest individual output this year for the Orange. The junior has facilitated the offense, leading the team with 64 assists and pacing Syracuse in that category in 10 contests.
Senior Nate Kingz has made his mark as well, leading the team in 3-pointers with 21 while ranking tied for second in rebounds with 60. He has been red-hot lately, scoring in double figures in five of his last six outings. He opened the stretch with a team-best 19 points, paired with seven boards, in the win over Tennessee.
A pair of freshmen, Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony, have made significant contributions. Anthony is the team's third-leading scorer at 10.9 points per contest while White Jr. has snared 60 rebounds to be tied with Kingz for second-most on the roster.
The Orange have particularly played well at home with six different players averaging double-digit scoring at the Dome. Freeman leads the way (19.3) followed by Starling (11.6), Kingz (11.4), George (11.2), Anthony (11.1) and Kyle III (10.9).
The Tigers come to Syracuse at 10-3 and riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, including victories over in-state foe South Carolina as well as Cincinnati and Mercer. Clemson tested itself during non-conference, playing against BYU, Alabama, Georgia and West Virginia, and went 2-2 in those games. Clemson has begun to garner the attention of the college basketball community, receiving votes in the recent AP Poll and Coaches Poll.
Clemson was selected to finish seventh in the ACC preseason poll after posting a 27-7 record and earning an NCAA Tournament berth a year ago. However, it's a brand-new look for the Tigers with all five of their leading scorers from a year ago departing.
Through 13 games, RJ Godfrey paces the offense with 11.3 points per contest. Godfrey spent his first two seasons with the Tigers, then attended Georgia for a year before returning this offseason. The senior has recorded double-digit scoring in nine contests, while also leading the Tigers with 75 rebounds.
Jestin Porter is close behind Godfrey, averaging 10.5 points. He leads the team in 3-pointers with 28. He spent the last three seasons at Middle Tennessee State and earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors a year ago after averaging 15.0 points per contest.
The Tigers have been one of the nation's top defensive teams, holding opponents to just 65.8 points per contest. Clemson has held its competition to just .273 shooting from 3-point range.
Brad Brownell is in his 16th season leading the Tigers, having compiled a 302-199 record during his time as Head Coach. The veteran coach brought the Tigers to new heights in 2024, reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Brownell has built Clemson into a contender in the ACC, having the second-best conference record in the ACC over the last three seasons.
Series History
The New Year's Eve clash serves as the 18th all-time meeting between the two programs. Clemson has an 11-6 edge in the series and won the most recent matchup last January.
Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets
