Game Details: Saturday, Jan. 4, Tallahassee, Fla., 6 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
Live Coverage: Stats
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Syracuse (6-7, 0-2 ACC) begins the 2025 portion of its schedule Saturday night on the road against Florida State (9-4, 0-2 ACC) at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be aired live on ACC Network.
Setting The Stage
In their final game of the 2024 calendar year, the Orange fell to Wake Forest on Tuesday at the JMA Wireless Dome, 81-71. Lucas Taylor and Jaquan Carlos both scored 16 points, and Kyle Cuffe Jr. added 14 points for Syracuse. It was the team’s first ACC home tilt of the campaign.
The Seminoles have not played since Dec. 21 when they dropped a home contest to Louisville, 90-76. Florida State also lost its ACC opener to NC State on Dec. 7, falling in overtime, 84-74. The Seminoles are 5-2 at home this season.
Leonard Hamilton is the winningest coach in Florida State history and is in his 23rd season at the helm of the program. A three-time ACC Coach of the Year, Hamilton has led the Seminoles to 15 postseason appearances.
The Syracuse-Florida State Series
The Orange hold a slight 10-7 edge in the all-time series against Florida State. The Seminoles won the only meeting between the teams a season ago at the Dome, 85-69. However, Syracuse won its last trip to Tallahassee in 2022-23, defeating the Seminoles, 76-67.
Taylor Time
Senior Lucas Taylor is coming off his best performance of the season against Wake Forest. He set a new season high with 16 points, tied for the most on the team, and knocked down a trio of triples. He also notched a season-best five rebounds in a season-high 36 minutes against his former team.
Over the last three games, Taylor has gone 8-of-15 (.533) from beyond the arc after making just one 3-pointer in his first 10 appearances this season. Taylor has played 20+ minutes off the bench in each of the last three games for the Orange.
Carlos Rising
Jaquan Carlos was a stellar scorer and distributor in December, as the senior point averaged 10.1 points and 6.4 assists in seven contests. The senior recorded a 12-point, 12-assist double-double against Albany, set a new season high with 16 points against Wake Forest and tallied 15 points versus Georgetown.
Carlos’ double-double against the Great Danes was the first that included assists for Syracuse since Judah Mintz posted 10 points and 13 assists against Miami on Jan. 20, 2024. His 64 assists this season lead the Orange and rank No. 7 in the ACC.
After shooting just 11 free throws in the first eight games this season, Carlos has made 30 trips to the line in the last five contests. He has converted on 23 of those attempts, which included an 8-for-8 effort against the Hoyas.
Cuffe Sparks Syracuse
Over the last five games, Cuffe has been a difference maker off the bench for the Orange. The redshirt junior is averaging 8.6 points over those contests, which includes a career-best 14-point effort against Wake Forest.
Against the Demon Deacons, Cuffe scored 13 first-half points to help Syracuse trim a 16-point deficit to just two at the intermission. He attempted a career-high 11 free throws and knocked down nine. He also pulled down a career-best six rebounds against the Demon Deacons.
Crashing The Glass
As a team, Syracuse grabs 38.8 rebounds per contest, the third most in the ACC. The Orange have a plus-4.8 margin on the season and have recorded double-digit offensive boards eight times on the campaign, including in three of the last four contests.
Three different Syracuse players have pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game this season – Donnie Freeman (six times), Eddie Lampkin Jr. (five times) and Jyare Davis (one time). Lampkin has double-digit boards in three straight outings and is averaging five offensive rebounds per game in that stretch.
Scouting Florida State
Florida State is 0-4 against ACC and SEC opponents this season and 9-0 against all other opponents. The losses to SEC teams came against Florida and LSU.
Jamir Watkins is Florida State’s leading scorer on the campaign, as he enters Saturday averaging 19.5 points per contest. His 21 triples are the most on the team and he is also tied for the team lead in assists (29) and steals (19).
Also averaging in double figures for the Seminoles is Malique Ewin, who scored 13.2 per game. He is also Florida State’s leading rebounder with 7.3 boards per contest. Dequan Davis is Florida State’s third leading scorer (8.3 points per game) and is tied with Watkins for the team lead in assists (29). Chandler Jackson scores 7.8 points per game and is tied for the team lead in steals (19).
The Seminoles boast the seventh best scoring offense and scoring defense in the ACC. They have the best 3-point defense in the conference, limiting opponents to just 28.7-percent from beyond the arc, and lead the ACC in blocks (5.15) and steals (9.15) per game.
Freeman, Lampkin Jr. Make Preseason Watch Lists
Freeman is one of 20 players to make the preseason watch list for the 2025 Karl Malone Award, which recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s basketball. Freeman, a McDonald’s All-American and the second-highest Syracuse recruit in program history, is one of two freshmen to make this year’s Malone Award watch list.
Freeman is Syracuse’s second leading scorer this season with 13.2 points per outing. He has five double-doubles in the team’s first 13 games and has scored in double figures eight times.
Lampkin Jr. is one of 20 preseason watch-list candidates for the 2025 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which goes to the top center in men’s college basketball. Lampkin Jr. is in his first year with the Orange and is averaging 10.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest with three double-doubles.
The list for both awards will be narrowed to 10 in late January, and then to just five in late February. In March, the five finalists for both awards will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar, Malone and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee where winners will be selected.
Orange fans are encouraged to participate in three rounds of Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, on hoophallawards.com.
Tickets
Syracuse men’s basketball tickets are available online (cuse.com/tickets), by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) and at the Dome Box Office (Gate B).
For complete coverage of Syracuse men’s basketball, follow the team on X (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (@cuse_mbb).
The Orange were looking to start off the year with a bang and secure a victory on the road against a tough ACC opponent. The team had been working hard all season and was determined to end the year on a high note.
As the game kicked off, both teams came out strong, trading blows back and forth in a hard-fought battle. The Orange’s defense held strong, keeping the Seminoles at bay and forcing turnovers to give their offense opportunities to score.
In the end, Syracuse emerged victorious, defeating Florida State in a thrilling game that came down to the wire. The Orange showed grit and determination, proving that they were a force to be reckoned with in the ACC.
As the final seconds ticked away, the Syracuse players celebrated their hard-earned victory, knowing that they had set the tone for a successful new year. The team left Tallahassee with their heads held high, ready to take on whatever challenges came their way in the coming year.
The Syracuse Orange had rung in the new year in style, with a hard-fought win on the road against Florida State. The team was primed and ready to continue their success as they headed into the rest of the season.
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