Clemson Tigers Open ACC Play in Frigid Syracuse

The Clemson Tigers (10-3, 0-0 ACC) tip off the ACC schedule on Wednesday afternoon by taking on Syracuse at the JMA Wireless Dome at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN2.

Both teams are seeking their fourth consecutive win, and a strong start in conference play. Before the matchup, let’s take a look at Syracuse and the storylines fans should know about.

Clemson Seeks First Road Win

As the 2025 calendar year winds down, the Tigers still have yet to win a true road game. Clemson is 0-2 as a visitor, including a five-point loss at Georgetown and a six-point defeat at No. 14 Alabama. The last time Clemson won in an opponent’s arena was a 78-69 victory at Boston College last season.

To end that losing streak, Clemson will look for another standout performance from senior guard Dillon Hunter. The Atlanta native tallied one of his best collegiate games in the 68-65 win over Cincinnati last time out, scoring 10 points to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists, the latter two marks leading the team. Hunter has been a valuable leader for Brad Brownell’s team and will certainly be turned to for leadership in a hostile environment.

Syracuse’s Shooting Struggles

A big reason why the Orange have struggled out of the gate in non-conference play is inefficiency on the offensive end. In a near-upset of perennial title contender Houston in November, Syracuse shot a woeful 26% from three-point range and 41% from the free-throw line, and still nearly knocked off the Cougars.

In the weeks that have followed, Adrian Autry’s team has proven to be a highly volatile group that struggles to help its own defense. The Orange shot just 56% from the charity stripe in a historic upset loss to Hofstra at home. Heading into the new year, Syracuse owns the second-worst three-point percentage and worst free-throw percentage in the ACC.

Beware of the Orange Down Low

Despite other areas of weakness, Syracuse has been the top team in the ACC in terms of shot-blocking. The Orange’s 7.2 rejections per game lead the conference, with senior forward William Kyle III averaging 3.8 of them.

Kyle III comes to upstate New York after three seasons at South Dakota State and UCLA. While with the Jackrabbits, he was named the 2024 Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. This season, he’s rejected at least one shot in each game, including an eye-popping six in an upset win over Tennessee.

Syracuse Orange (9-4, 0-0 Big 12)

Head coach: Adrian Autry (3rd season, 43-35 record)
Finalist for 2023-24 Joe B. Hall Award
Recognizes the top first-year head coach in college basketball

Advanced Rankings*

78 in KenPom (Clemson is 35)
89 in NET (Clemson is 38)
67 in BPI (Clemson is 25)

* - out of all 365 Division I teams

Record by Quadrant

Quadrant 1: 1-3
Quadrant 2: 0-0
Quadrant 3: 0-1
Quadrant 4: 8-0

Notable wins: vs Tennessee (62-60)
Notable losses: vs Hofstra (70-69), vs Iowa State (95-64), vs Houston (78-74)

Stat Leaders
Leading scorer: G J.J. Starling, 11.3 points
Leading rebounder: F William Kyle III, 8.3 rebounds
Assist leader: G Naithan George, 4.9 assists

Series History

Clemson is 11-6 against Syracuse all-time, including an active four-game winning streak. The Tigers defeated the Orange in last season’s only meeting, 86-72 on January 22 at Littlejohn Coliseum. Wednesday’s matchup will be this season’s lone game between the two teams.

Quick Facts

ESPN’s BPI favors the Tigers in the matchup, listing Clemson with a 61.6% chance to defeat Syracuse.
Clemson is 2-5 all-time at the JMA Wireless Dome. Last time in Syracuse, the Tigers defeated the Orange 77-68 on February 10, 2024.
Syracuse is 9-1 at home this season. The Orange have won the last two home matchups against Power Four teams (No. 13 Tennessee, Virginia) dating back to last season.