At 7:00 p.m. ET the No. 11 Syracuse Orange (27-4, 14-4 ACC), who have hit major turbulence since a lengthy unbeaten streak to start the year, will make a run at the ACC Conference tourney title beginning tonight with the North Carolina State Wolfpack (20-12, 9-9 ACC) who likely need to win this tournament to make the Big Dance. Watch the game on ESPN or live stream it here free. 'Cuse fans can hear the game on The Score 1260, and NC State fans can do the same on 99.9 The Fan.
The last time these two teams met Syracuse was heavily favored, but needed C.J. Fair to rescue them with a clutch late basket. 'Cuse has stumbled badly down the stretch and needs some good performances here to right the ship.
"We want to use this tournament to get us in rhythm for the NCAA tournament," Fair said. "We don't want to be one-and-done here, and then have to wait for the tournament. You want to get things rolling now."
Coach Jim Boeheim isn't panicked by the Orange's struggles. "Momentum can be a funny thing," Boeheim said. "We turned it around last year in one game. You can do that, and this will help us."
NC State coach Mike Gottfried is very excited about this rematch. "We played well up there, but we let one get away," Gottfried said. "We were in a position to win and we didn't close it out. It's not about payback. It's about opportunity, and we've got an opportunity that is golden. Couldn't ask for a better one."
Syracuse must watch out for Wolfpack guard T.J. Warren, who scored 24.8 points per game this year to lead the ACC. However, he's not ideal to attack the Orange's zone, as a 29 percent shooter from 3-point land.
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