Stanford favored by 11, O/U 149.5, implied score 80.25-69.25.
Syracuse comes in with a record of 9-11, 3-6 in the ACC, 1-7 away from what I thought was the Carrier Dome - but is now apparently the JMA Wireless Dome. Worst loss is vs. Georgetown in the Dome. Best win is vs. Notre Dame in the Dome. Only road (or neutral court) win was 79-71 @ Boston College. Three beat writers for the Daily Orange have all predicted a Stanford victory: https://dailyorange.com/2025/01/beat-wri...ight-loss/ . And here is a game preview presented by the Daily Orange: https://dailyorange.com/2025/01/syracuse...t-preview/
Syracuse is led by JJ Starling & Eddie Lampkin Jr. Starling (#2, 6'4/206 Jr G) began his college career at Notre Dame where he was a starter and was named to the ACC all-frosh team. He was injured and missed 7 games in December - while the Orange went 2-5. He averages 18.8 ppg (would be 4th in the ACC, but he hasn't played enough games to qualify) and 3.7 rpg. Lampkin (#44, 6'11/265 Gr C) played at TCU for 3 years (starter for 2) and at Colorado last season - so he & Raynaud have met before. He was among 20 players (along with Maxime) on the preseason watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award for the best Div 1 center. He averages 10.3ppg & 9.0rpg - 3rd in the ACC behind Maxime's 11.7.
Other possible starters include: #3 Lucas Taylor (6'5/200 Sr G) who played 2 years at Wake Forest & 1 at Georgia State (as a starter), and averages 5.7ppg & 2.2rpg; #8 Elijah Moore (6'4/176 Fr G) averages 5.9ppg; and #13 Jyare Davis (6'7/220 Sr F) who played 3 seasons at Delaware (Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year in '22, All-CAA 2nd team in '24) and averages 8.4ppg & 5.4 rpg.
Syracuse gets an average of 26.6ppg from the bench. Key contributors include: #4 Chris Bell (6'7/192 Jr F) from De La Salle HS, who started as a freshman and averages 9.8ppg; #5 Jaquan Carlos (6'0/180 Sr G) who played 3 seasons at Hofstra (starting for 2) and was on the CAA All-Defense team twice, and is averaging 5.9ppg and 3.9 assists per game (9th in the ACC) this season; #6 Petar Majstorovic (6'8/215 Fr F) averages 2.9ppg & 3.6rpg, but may have an increased role tonight backing up Lampkin vs Raynaud; and #0 Kyle Cuffe Jr. (6'2/188 Jr G) who played one season at Kansas and averages 5.6ppg.
Donnie Freeman (#1, 6'9/205 Fr F) was averaging 13.4ppg & 7.9rpg, but has not played since Jan. 4. He has a lower leg injury and at last update there was no timetable for his return. He did make the trip with the team to California. He was a McDonalds All-American and was 1 of only 2 freshmen on the watch list for the Karl Malone award for the top power forward in Div 1.
Naheem McLeod (#10, 7'4/265 Sr) is another player who could have an increased role tonight vs Raynaud. McLeod was a part-time starter for 2 seasons at Florida State. Last season, he started the first 14 games at Syracuse, but missed the rest of the season with a foot injury. This season he has only appeared in 6 games, averaging just 2.5 minutes per game.
Syracuse does not shoot a lot of 3s (126/404 - .312 in 20 games), but shot a season high 32 last week in a close loss to Pitt, led by Starling (3/8), Moore (2/3), & Bell (4/9). They have had issues with turnovers - turnover margin of -2.6 per game.
Coach Adrian Autrey is in his 2nd year at the helm. He replaced Jim Boeheim who was the Syracuse coach for 47 seasons.
With losses yesterday by Wake Forest & UNC, Stanford would be tied for 4th in the ACC with Wake (and probably SMU - if they beat Cal @ SMU tonight). That would set Stanford up for 2 brobdingnagian games - Saturday at SMU and a week from tonight vs Wake at Maples. But, as always first things first - they need to take care of business tonight vs Syracuse to put themselves in that position that few, if any of us, would have predicted at the start of the season.
Syracuse comes in with a record of 9-11, 3-6 in the ACC, 1-7 away from what I thought was the Carrier Dome - but is now apparently the JMA Wireless Dome. Worst loss is vs. Georgetown in the Dome. Best win is vs. Notre Dame in the Dome. Only road (or neutral court) win was 79-71 @ Boston College. Three beat writers for the Daily Orange have all predicted a Stanford victory: https://dailyorange.com/2025/01/beat-wri...ight-loss/ . And here is a game preview presented by the Daily Orange: https://dailyorange.com/2025/01/syracuse...t-preview/
Syracuse is led by JJ Starling & Eddie Lampkin Jr. Starling (#2, 6'4/206 Jr G) began his college career at Notre Dame where he was a starter and was named to the ACC all-frosh team. He was injured and missed 7 games in December - while the Orange went 2-5. He averages 18.8 ppg (would be 4th in the ACC, but he hasn't played enough games to qualify) and 3.7 rpg. Lampkin (#44, 6'11/265 Gr C) played at TCU for 3 years (starter for 2) and at Colorado last season - so he & Raynaud have met before. He was among 20 players (along with Maxime) on the preseason watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award for the best Div 1 center. He averages 10.3ppg & 9.0rpg - 3rd in the ACC behind Maxime's 11.7.
Other possible starters include: #3 Lucas Taylor (6'5/200 Sr G) who played 2 years at Wake Forest & 1 at Georgia State (as a starter), and averages 5.7ppg & 2.2rpg; #8 Elijah Moore (6'4/176 Fr G) averages 5.9ppg; and #13 Jyare Davis (6'7/220 Sr F) who played 3 seasons at Delaware (Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year in '22, All-CAA 2nd team in '24) and averages 8.4ppg & 5.4 rpg.
Syracuse gets an average of 26.6ppg from the bench. Key contributors include: #4 Chris Bell (6'7/192 Jr F) from De La Salle HS, who started as a freshman and averages 9.8ppg; #5 Jaquan Carlos (6'0/180 Sr G) who played 3 seasons at Hofstra (starting for 2) and was on the CAA All-Defense team twice, and is averaging 5.9ppg and 3.9 assists per game (9th in the ACC) this season; #6 Petar Majstorovic (6'8/215 Fr F) averages 2.9ppg & 3.6rpg, but may have an increased role tonight backing up Lampkin vs Raynaud; and #0 Kyle Cuffe Jr. (6'2/188 Jr G) who played one season at Kansas and averages 5.6ppg.
Donnie Freeman (#1, 6'9/205 Fr F) was averaging 13.4ppg & 7.9rpg, but has not played since Jan. 4. He has a lower leg injury and at last update there was no timetable for his return. He did make the trip with the team to California. He was a McDonalds All-American and was 1 of only 2 freshmen on the watch list for the Karl Malone award for the top power forward in Div 1.
Naheem McLeod (#10, 7'4/265 Sr) is another player who could have an increased role tonight vs Raynaud. McLeod was a part-time starter for 2 seasons at Florida State. Last season, he started the first 14 games at Syracuse, but missed the rest of the season with a foot injury. This season he has only appeared in 6 games, averaging just 2.5 minutes per game.
Syracuse does not shoot a lot of 3s (126/404 - .312 in 20 games), but shot a season high 32 last week in a close loss to Pitt, led by Starling (3/8), Moore (2/3), & Bell (4/9). They have had issues with turnovers - turnover margin of -2.6 per game.
Coach Adrian Autrey is in his 2nd year at the helm. He replaced Jim Boeheim who was the Syracuse coach for 47 seasons.
With losses yesterday by Wake Forest & UNC, Stanford would be tied for 4th in the ACC with Wake (and probably SMU - if they beat Cal @ SMU tonight). That would set Stanford up for 2 brobdingnagian games - Saturday at SMU and a week from tonight vs Wake at Maples. But, as always first things first - they need to take care of business tonight vs Syracuse to put themselves in that position that few, if any of us, would have predicted at the start of the season.