Syracuse begins its 'lucky' 13th ACC season Wednesday looking to exceed expectations

The Orange were selected ninth in October's preseason media poll, as they host Clemson to begin league play Wednesday in a New Year's Eve matinee.

Dec 22, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Adrian Autry reacts to a called foul in the second half game against the Stonehill Skyhawks at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

With ACC league play actually getting underway Tuesday evening with four games, the 'Cuse (9-4) joins three other conference teams in its initial game hosting Clemson (10-3) Wednesday afternoon at the Dome (2:00 p.m. ET /ESPN2). Initial league games will also continue this weekend.

After the non-conference portion of the schedule, there is no surprise, really, about three of the four teams that finished 12-1 in OOC games, Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia, with some eye-raising about the other team- Cal, and the job performed by head coach Mark Madsen against a not-so-challenging schedule, although the Bears did beat UCLA.

Sizing up the ACC landscape as league play begins

Obviously non-conference schedules come in all shapes and sizes, with the top teams committing to schedule tough early-season neutral court games, or tough tournament fields (MTEs), mixed in with a couple of NET Ranking bottom-feeders, so sometimes it makes it difficult to eye contenders from pretenders.

No doubt Duke (5th in this week's AP Poll), UNC (12), and Virginia (21) with new coach Ryan Odom making his mark, are among the top tier, along with a Miami turnaround under another first year coach, Jai Lucas, an early surprise with a light schedule, and a win at Ole Miss to sit at 11-2.

The other ranked ACC team this week, Louisville (17), also is off to a strong 10-2 start, losing only at Arkansas and SU victim Tennessee.

With Clemson coach Brad Brownell in his 16th season guiding the Tigers, he is currently the ACCs most tenured head coach. Clemson finished 10-3 in OOC, its losses to Georgetown, Alabama, and to BYU at Madison Square Garden, blowing a 22-point, second half lead.

Syracuse has lost four straight to Clemson, its last win coming in January 2022 in the Dome.

Other OOC game notes point the ACC to having a strong conference season

• Currently standing at 176-55 (.762) in non-conference action with three games remaining in February, the ACC is on pace for its best non-league record since the 2018-19 season (165-47, .778). The ACC was 130-69 (.653) in non-conference games in the 2024-25 regular season.

• The ACC had nine different teams start 10-2 or better this season, most among all D-I conferences. That is tied for the conference’s second most in a single campaign (2017-18), behind the 2016-17 season (11 teams). (StatsPerform)

• ACC teams have combined to limit their opponents to 69.2 ppg, which is fewest of any D-I conference.

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