Syracuse men’s basketball (13-11, 4-7 ACC) returns home tonight at 7 p.m. to host California Golden Bears (17-7, 5-6 ACC) at the JMA Wireless Dome following a challenging two-game road stretch against Top-20 opponents.
The Orange received balanced offensive contributions during last week’s games, highlighted by sophomore Donnie Freeman, who led Syracuse with 23 points against North Carolina and continues to pace the team in scoring. Junior Naithan George added a team-best 19 points in the most recent outing at Virginia and leads the Orange with 129 assists this season, while senior J.J. Starling has reached double figures in eight of his last nine games.
Defensively, Syracuse remains among the nation’s top shot-blocking teams, averaging 6.1 blocks per contest. Senior William Kyle III anchors the interior, ranking among the national leaders with 65 blocks this season and recording at least one block in all but two games.
California enters looking to rebound from a loss to Clemson but owns notable wins this season over UCLA, North Carolina, and Miami. The Golden Bears feature a strong perimeter attack, shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range and ranking among the ACC leaders in free-throw percentage. Dai Dai Ames leads the team in scoring, while John Camden is one of the conference’s most efficient three-point shooters.
Syracuse and California have met five times, with the Orange holding a 4-1 series advantage. Syracuse won last season’s meeting 75-66 in Berkeley.
GAME PREVIEW LINKS
- Orange Welcome California to the Dome for Mid-Week Matchup (Cuse.com)
- What Adrian Autry said before Syracuse faces Cal on Wednesday in the Dome (SI.com)
- How to watch Syracuse basketball host Chris Bell, California on Wednesday night (InsideTheLoudHouse.com)
- Syracuse basketball: Adrian Autry talks Kiyan Anthony DNP, FLJ comments and Cal game vs. Chris Bell (NunesMagician.com)
- Syracuse’s next game brings its next meeting with another former Orange player (SI.com)
- Everything to know before Cal takes on Syracuse men’s basketball (DailyOrange.com)
- Looking to avoid a rare losing Syracuse basketball season (SI.com)
- Beat writers split on whether Syracuse will overcome Cal Wednesday (DailyOrange.com)
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.
