Syracuse closes 2025 by opening their ACC slate against Clemson

Syracuse and Clemson will break the glass on their respective ACC schedules on Wednesday when they meet at the JMA Wireless Dome for a New Year's Eve matinee. The headline for the Orange (9-4) is the expected return of forward Donnie Freeman to action, as he missed the last nine games of non-conference play.

Meanwhile, the Tigers (10-3) have won their last three games after dropping back-to-back contests away from home to ranked opponents Alabama and BYU. Both of those matchups were tightly contested, as Clemson dropped them pair by a total of nine points. They have also lost freshman guard Zac Foster from their deep rotation due to injury, but still have nine players who have seen action in every game and held off Cincinnati for a win in their lone game without him.

Of those nine players who have played in each game for the Tigers, none average more than Dillon Hunter’s 27.0 minutes with each logging double digit minutes. As such, the scoring burden is shared across the roster, as five players average at least 8.4 points per game, paced by R.J. Godfrey’s 11.3 per outing.

The Tigers are good on offense while lacking a superstar

The Clemson offense is strong, but not elite, in part because they are good in most facets, but do an exceptional job at limiting turnovers. The Tigers are in the top 15 in the nation in turnover rate, a statistic strengthened by their slow pace of play.

Hunter and Jestin Porter are a tough starting backcourt to defend, as both are experienced players and excellent shooters. Hunter has a bit of everything in his game, but the headline is his 45.5 percent mark from 3-point range, supported by being solid in the mid-range and excellent at the line.

Porter is more one-dimensional, but SU must be aware he is hitting just under 39 percent from long range on 5.5 attempts per game. Reserve guard Ace Buckner provides a different look as more of a power guard, shooting nearly 63 percent on 2-point shots and rebounding extremely well despite being 6’2”.

A cluster of solid big men share the load, but do have a weakness

Clemson uses four bigs nearly equally to complement their guards. Godfrey sees the most playing time of the quartet, but just 23.5 minutes per game as a traditional power forward. He is the best offensive rebounder on the team while shooting 65.5 percent on 2-point field goals, including showing range most of the way to the arc.

Nick Davidson, Jake Wahlin, and Carter Welling are all listed at 6’10” and offer some perimeter shooting to go with that height. Each shoots over 31.8 percent from 3-point range and the trio has combined to make 29 treys through their 13 games. Welling is the best rebounder of the three and also offers a modest amount of shotblocking on defense.

That last note shows one place for Syracuse to focus their offense. The Tigers are outside the top 250 in the country in block rate, so the Orange should be able to attack the basket successfully. Clemson does take away the 3-point shot very well, both in limiting the number of shots and contesting them well, as their opponents have shot 27.3 percent from beyond the arc thus far, the eighth-lowest mark in the country.

The Tigers are not a pressure defense, forcing a below average number of turnovers on the season. They do value possession of the ball elsewhere, as they are in the top 30 in the country in defensive rebounding rate. SU will need to get good shots, but with Clemson’s relative weakness inside, they should look to penetrate early in the game. Five of the Tigers’ seven major conference opponents have made at least half their 2-point shots this season.

The Orange can start a push toward the postseason

This matchup will be a good jumping off point for both teams in ACC play. Clemson is ranked above Syracuse in KenPom by a fairly healthy margin, but will concede some of that advantage by playing on the road, although on a weekday afternoon with a likely smaller, less raucous crowd.

The Orange will need to find their aggressive play on defense from earlier this season and Freeman’s return, if it happens, could inject some extra life into the roster. In addition, SU has an advantage with a number of players who can score inside, including their wings and guards.

This game should be a tight one where both teams have the opportunity to get off on the right foot in conference play.

Clemson 73, Syracuse 71.

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