17. Syracuse Orange - 6-8 (0-3)
The highlight of the Orange’s 2024-25 campaign wasn’t even an on-the-court accomplishment. It was landing top-40 prospect Kiyan Anthony, son of Syracuse legend, Carmelo Anthony. But what’s happened on the floor has been a disaster this season, having lost four of the last five games.
After losing by 10 points at home to Wake Forest, Syracuse went on the road to take on Florida State. After a close first half, the Orange gave up 54 points in the final 20 minutes, losing 90-74. Freshman forward Donnie Freeman had 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Chris Bell had 18 points off the bench, Also, JJ Starling returned after missing a few games, producing 12 points and three assists in 32 minutes.
The big problem with the Orange has been its defense, giving up nearly 80 points a game, good for bottom 20 nationally. Even if they can score with Starling and Freeman, this team just can’t defend. It also doesn’t help that only Bell can make three-point shots on the team, shooting below 30% from deep collectively.
The upcoming stretch for the Orange is winnable. They have a home battle with Georgia Tech, followed by a road matchup at Boston College. If they can’t find a way to get wins coming up, they’ll have a hard time getting out of the bottom three to make the ACC Basketball Tournament.