Syracuse men’s basketball vs Wake Forest: TNIAAM predictions and poll

The Syracuse Orange (7-7, 1-2) men’s basketball team stays on the road to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (12-3, 2-2) on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Syracuse is hoping to avoid a three-game losing streak while Wake is looking to build off a big win over Florida State.

So before these teams face off we’ll tell you what we think will happen this afternoon.

Kevin

Wake Forest 82, Syracuse 77

The last thing this Syracuse team needed was another road game against a good offensive squad. Alondes Williams looks like the type of player built to inflict damage on the zone from the foul line and the Oklahoma transfer is an early candidate for ACC POY. The Orange need to stick with Wake’s shooters or else it could be a long night. Can Syracuse take what they did well in the first half at Miami and extend it for the full game? I need to see it to be convinced.

Szuba

Wake Forest 82, Syracuse 76

It’s hard to envision Syracuse winning at Wake after what we’ve seen against Virginia and Miami. The Deacs have been scoring the ball well this year behind the play of transfers Williams and Jake Laravia and fourth-year veterans Davien Williamson and Isaiah Mucius. Although some of those numbers are padded against a soft schedule, Syracuse has struggled to get stops necessary to win games. Give me Wake by half a dozen.

John

Wake Forest 89, Syracuse 78

While I don’t necessarily buy ALL of the hype around Wake given the weak schedule early, the Deacs are also a very effective team inside and that won’t bode well for the Orange. Between overall defensive questions, foul trouble concerns for Jesse Edwards, and a just a general lack of length compared to Wake Forest, SU will have their hands full here. The score above seems lopsided, and that’s likely due more to the Orange faltering late than an inability to hang around throughout the contest.

Christian

Wake Forest 86, Syracuse 80

The big problem with Wake Forest is that they have players that can score inside and outside. It’s tough to defend a player who can do both, and that’s what the Orange fell victim to with Isaiah Wong against Miami. Syracuse won’t have the defensive ability to hold the Demon Deacons in check, so it’s up to the Orange offense to shoot its way to a win. And if Miami can show how pressure stops the Syracuse offense, you’ve gotta think every team will do that at some point, no matter how bad of a defensive team they are.

Now it’s your turn...