ACC Basketball Power Rankings: Duke Blue Devils gelling at the right time

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 10: Teammates Jordan Goldwire #14, Wendell Moore Jr. #0 and Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils react after a play against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on February 10, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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TALLAHASSEE, FL – FEBRUARY 15: Quincy Guerrier #1 cheers on his teammate Elijah Hughes #33 of the Syracuse Orange (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

9. Syracuse Orange (14-11)(7-7 ACC)

The Orange have put together some solid offensive performances over on the season but their defense has waned as of late. Syracuse gave up 79 points on 52.1% against NC State and 80 points including 44.0% from 3-point range in a loss to Florida State. The Orange edged out a 2-point conference win over Wake Forest behind 23 points from Buddy Boeheim.

Boeheim could find no such luck against the more athletic defenses of NC State and Florida State. He scored 10 points on 26.7% shooting against the Wolfpack and went ice-cold with an 0-for-7 outing against the Seminoles. Syracuse has plenty of offensive firepower, with Elijah Hughes chipping in at least 20 points in four of his last five games. With Hughes and Boeheim providing the brunt of the scoring, the contributions from freshman Joseph Girard III have been the cherry on top.

Syracuse only has one win over their last five games but in that lone win, Girard only had 7 points (along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists) against Wake Forest but has turned it up a notch as of late. He racked up 30 points in a five-point loss to NC State and collected 22 points and 7 assists in a three-point loss to Florida State.

Syracuse ends the season with a stretch of winnable games which will give them the opportunity to make a much stronger case for an at-large bid but that will be no easy task against Louisville, who will be hoping to keep pace atop the ACC, and Georgia Tech, who has a chance to separate themselves from the pack in the middle of the conference.