Syracuse looks to extend their season in ACC Tournament opener against SMU

The Orange face a Mustang team they edged in a regular season, come-from-behind win in their postseason debut

Feb 14, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Southern Methodist University Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) drives to the basket with Syracuse Orange guard Naithan George (11) defending in the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Two teams going in the wrong direction meet up on Tuesday when Syracuse takes on SMU in the first round of the ACC Tournament.  The 14-seed Orange (15-16, 6-12 ACC) have lost five straight games, while the 11th-seeded Mustangs (19-12, 8-10) are on their own four-game slide.

SMU is actually the last team SU defeated this season, as they trailed most of the game before pulling out a 79-78 victory on February 14 on a Nate Kingz lay-up with 2.3 seconds on the clock.  Syracuse overcame multiple 12-point second half deficits to pull out that home win.

Now, however, with both teams sputtering in March, the Orange need to pull off an improbable run to the ACC Championship to gain an NCAA Tournament berth.  The Mustangs, however, have a fairly strong resume with a 4-8 record in Quad 1 games and 4-4 mark in Quad 2 games, including wins over a fully-healthy North Carolina squad at Louisville.  SMU still has a path to the big dance and a win over SU is the first step in getting there.

The Mustangs have a skilled offense with threats all over the floor

Point guard Boopie Miller directs SMU’s high-powered offense by averaging 19.4 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from 3-point range.  That offense has been balanced throughout the season, as five players average double figures on the campaign, and six players reached double digits in points in the first matchup with Syracuse.

Jaron Pierre Jr., leads the team with 69 triples and ranks second on the squad at 17.5 points per game, making for a lethal combo with Miller.  The very well-rounded B.J. Edwards led the ACC in steals this season with 65 while also averaging 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.

Forward Corey Washington and center Samet Yigitoglu round out the starting lineup.  Washington hit 42 treys en route to 11.3 points per contest while Yigitoglu posted 11.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.  Jaden Toombs is a reserve big man who averaged 7.3 points per game, but had a big game against the Orange, tallying 19 points in the earlier matchup.

With that balanced attack, SMU is an offense-first squad that plays at a slightly uptempo pace.  The Mustangs are in the top 30 nationally in effective field goal percentage and also does a good job getting second chances when they miss, ranking in the top 50 in offensive rebounding rate.

The Mustangs' defense offers opportunity to the Orange

The SMU defense is a more pedestrian unit, ranking outside the top 100 in adjusted defensive efficiency on the season and outside the top 200 in their last ten games.  That makes the Mustangs’ plan is a simple one: get the ball moving and outscore their opponent.  They topped 80 points against power conference opponents ten times this season and finished 9-1 in those games.

That strategy almost worked against SU, as well, but fell short in a 79-78 game.  However, the Orange offense has struggled in the five games since, getting over the 70-point mark just one time.  They should have no problem passing that marker against the Mustangs, but not by enough to keep their season going.

SMU 86, Syracuse 79.

SUPPORT THE JUICE ONLINE.

For more discussion on Syracuse athletics, visit our free Syracuse Orange discussion forum.