Will Wade Breaks Down What to Expect From Syracuse

RALEIGH — The Lenovo Center hasn't been a friendly place for NC State since the start of ACC play. While the Wolfpack has a perfect record on the road, winning its first four games away from the City of Oaks, the team is 1-2 at home with losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech.

After sweeping two road trips, Will Wade and the Pack are back in Raleigh for a Tuesday matchup against Syracuse (12-8, 3-4 ACC), looking to correct some of the issues that have plagued them at home. Wade broke down what his team needs to expect from a struggling Orange team led by coach Adrian "Red" Autry during a Monday Zoom call.

What Wade said

After a 3-1 start to conference play, Syracuse has fallen apart of late. The Orange lost its last three ACC games, including a pair back at the JMA Wireless Dome that led to home fans booing the team. Even so, Wade believes his team needs to be on high alert, as it has already been caught off guard at home by a struggling conference foe in the Yellow Jackets.

"We're going to have to play one of our best games," Wade said. "We haven't played very well at home. We've been really, really poor at home, which is really bad for our fans who support us. We've been so bad the last two nights at home. I'm sure we'll play better tomorrow. If we don't play better tomorrow, we're going to get run out of the gym."

One of the more intriguing aspects of the matchup is also concerning for Wade. Syracuse's strength falls in its backcourt depth, with a dynamic trio of talented guards carrying a major amount of the offensive weight for the Orange. The matchup between those players and the Wolfpack's group of Quadir Copeland, Tre Holloman and Paul McNeil could be the difference in the game.

"They're uber talented. They've got three really good guards with (Nathan) George, (JJ Starling) and then (Nate Kingz), the shooter from Oregon State," Wade said. "Their front line, (William Kyle) is as good an athlete as you'll see... They are extremely talented."

Getting a better start than it had in several recent games will be crucial for the Wolfpack, according to Wade. The dynamic offense of Syracuse has the coach concerned, as his team survived an icy start against Pitt because of the Panthers' inefficient offense.

"If we get off to a start like that tomorrow against Syracuse, it's going to be 20-2, not 5-0," Wade said. "That's a huge point of emphasis for us and that's something that we have to get better at. You're not going to survive many poor starts like that."

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