Syracuse Heads to Raleigh for Clash with NC State

Game Details: Tuesday, January 27, Raleigh, N.C., 7:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPNU
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Syracuse (12-8, 3-4 ACC) heads to Raleigh, N.C. for a matchup with NC State (14-6, 5-2 ACC) on Tuesday evening.

On the Road Again
After a week at home, the Orange are set to hit the road again. Syracuse is 2-1 in three road contests this season.

Syracuse played its first road game of the year in early January, topping Georgia Tech before taking down Pittsburgh a few days later, both being double digit victories. Their lone loss came at the hands of Boston College in overtime.

Sophomore Donnie Freeman is averaging 22.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in road games this season. Freeman turned in a career-best performance in the Orange's win over Georgia Tech, pouring in 27 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks. He added 22 points days later against Pittsburgh and chipped in 19 against Boston College.

Senior Nate Kingz produced his top performance in a Syracuse uniform against Boston College, drilling five 3-pointers in a 27-point showing.

Offensive Metrics
Since starting ACC-play, the Orange are averaging 77.6 points per contest. Syracuse's 3-point percentage has increased since getting its conference slate going, shooting .386 over its seven ACC games, the fourth best in the league.

Sophomore Tyler Betsey is shooting 14-of-25 (.560) from 3-point range to pace the Orange in ACC contests. Betsey was efficient in the win over Florida State, draining six attempts from 3-point range to help propel the Orange to a season-best 94 points. He's connected from deep in all but one ACC game.

Kingz has matched Betsey with 14 3-point makes of his own during ACC-play. His 35 triples this season rank first on the Orange, with at least one 3-pointer in nine consecutive games.

Junior Naithan George serves as the court general, shelling out 109 assists this season. He's compiled 45 of those against ACC teams, including back-to-back performances with double-digit assists with 11 against Pittsburgh and 13 against Florida State.

Freeman paces the Orange offense, averaging a team-best 18.7 points per outing. His 19.3 scoring average in conference play ranks sixth among ACC players.

Kyle III's Block Party
Senior William Kyle III anchors the Orange among the nation's top shot blocking teams, with Syracuse ranking third in blocks per contest (6.2). His defensive presence has played an instrumental role in the Orange holding opponents to just 69.0 points per contest.

Kyle III finds himself tied for fifth in total blocks (54) and tied for fourth in blocks per outing (2.70). Kyle III has swatted at least one shot in all but two games this season and posted multiple blocks in three of his last four appearances.

Kyle III contributes offensively as well, averaging 9.7 points while grabbing a team-high 149 rebounds this year.

Scouting NC State
The Wolfpack enter the week at 14-6 overall and 5-2 in ACC play. After dropping a home game to Georgia Tech, NC State has rattled off consecutive wins after earning an overtime road victory over Clemson before topping Pittsburgh this past weekend.

NC State brings a high-powered offense to the table, averaging 85.3 points per outing and shooting .394 on 3-point attempts. The Wolfpack's 3-point percentage ranks in the top 10 nationally and leads the ACC.

Syracuse will look to neutralize Paul McNeil Jr., the ACC's top 3-point shooter. McNeil Jr. is shooting 63-of-150 (.420) from deep and has hit at least one 3-pointer in every game this season, including an 11-three performance in a 47-point outburst against Texas Southern, both conference highs for a single game this year.

Quadir Copeland, former Syracuse guard, averages a team-best 14.1 points for the Wolfpack. Copeland has posted double-digit scoring in six of seven ACC contests, including 20 points in the win over Pittsburgh. He has dished out 49 assists over that same stretch, the most of any player in the league. He spent two years at Syracuse, then transferred to McNeese before landing at NC State for his senior year.

Ven-Allen Lubin boasts the top field goal percentage in the conference, shooting .669 from the field this year. He's averaging 17.5 points over his last four games while shooting 25-of-36 (.694) from the floor.

The Wolfpack are guided by head coach Will Wade, who spent the past two seasons at McNeese where he compiled a 50-9 record and two NCAA Tournament berths after winning the Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships. Wade previously served as the head coach at LSU, taking the Tigers to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments.

Series History
Tuesday's matchup marks the 23rd all-time meeting between the Orange and Wolfpack. Syracuse holds a 15-7 advantage in the series and has won eight of the last nine, including three straight in Raleigh.

Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets

Syracuse Heads to Raleigh for Clash with NC State

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Betsey

Donnie Freeman

Naithan George

Nate Kingz

William Kyle III

Syracuse University Athletics