After back-to-back ACC wins, Syracuse basketball faces one of the top programs in the conference to date — Louisville. Read more for a full Syracuse vs Louisville prediction and preview.
The Cardinals are on a high thanks to an increasingly impressive turnaround by new head coach Pat Kelsey and six-game winning streak. They’ll have to make the snowy trek up north, to face an energized Syracuse squad that’s just earned its first two conference wins of the year.
General information:
Teams: Syracuse (8-8, 2-3 ACC) vs Louisville (12-5, 5-1 ACC)
Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Watch: ACC Network
Listen: WAER 88.3 FM
Latest on Louisville basketball:
The Cardinals are tied for second in the conference, sitting next to Clemson. After dropping its conference opener to then-No. 9 Duke, 76-65, on Dec. 8, Louisville has won all five of its last conference matchups. The Cardinals head to the dome on a six game hot streak.
Louisville also received 17 votes in this week’s AP Top 25 poll — making the program within the top 30 in the country — after beating Clemson and Pitt on the road last week.
Louisville’s under brand-new Kelsey this season, who was hired from College of Charleston in March 2024. Since Kelsey took over the program, he brought in a number of transfers from Power 4 and Group of 5 programs. He’s now surpassed the total number of ACC wins the Cardinals had last season.
The Cardinals’ two top scorers are Chucky Hepburn — averaging 15.1 points per game — and College of Charleston transfer Reyne Smith — the ACC’s best 3-point shooter. Smith has made 61 triples this season, shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc this season.
Louisville leads the all-time series between the two programs, 19-14, but Syracuse has won the last four meetings.
Latest on Syracuse basketball:
After struggling to scrounge up their first conference win of the season, the Orange have won back-to-back ACC battles to even out their overall record at 8-8.
The return of JJ Starling has helped bring Syracuse’s offense a boost, and since stepping back on the court he’s scored at least 20 points in both games. Starling’s averaging 19.8 points per game, reaching double figures in every game this season.
Eddie Lampkin’s also recorded double-doubles in Syracuse’s wins over Georgia Tech and Boston College. The fifth year big’s emphasis on rebounds has helped the Orange’s 38.9 rebounds per game, but both games last week had Lampkin reaching double figures late in the second half.
Despite the recent success, the Orange have played without freshman starter Donnie Freeman in both games. Head coach Adrian Autry said he was out with a lower body injury, and didn’t have a clear timetable back on Jan. 7. Freeman traveled with the team to Boston College, and has been wearing a boot during his two-game absence.
Relying on Starling and Lampkin likely won’t be enough to beat this newly reformed Louisville squad. Efforts from Lucas Taylor, Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Jyare Davis helped push Syracuse over the Eagles, and they’ll need to do it again to defeat the Cardinals — particularly from the arc.
The trio have both come off the bench and cracked the starting five throughout Starling, and now Freeman’s absence, each of them reaching double figures in their last appearance. They’ve steadily improved as the season’s gone on — a positive sign for Autry’s roster heading into the dog days of the season.
Syracuse vs Louisville prediction: Cards by 4
ESPN has Syracuse listed as an underdog by 7.5 points, but the Orange have played better inside the JMA Wireless Dome than any other building this season. Louisville isn’t afraid of playing on the road, but if the Orange can guard the three and get four or more players into double figures like last game, it could be much closer than three possessions.
Anything can happen inside the dome, but facing the Cardinals is no small task for the Orange.