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Syracuse’s 80-57 win over LSU on Nov. 28 was a statement — a positive result against a big-name program. The victory set aside doubts following SU’s 1-2 finish at the Allstate Maui Invitational and excited Syracuse fans about its upcoming away bout with Virginia to kickstart Atlantic Coast Conference play.

But then reality settled in. Coming off its biggest win of the 2023-24 season, Syracuse suffered an 84-62 defeat at John Paul Jones Arena on Dec. 2. The Cavaliers were near-perfect on offense, led by a career-high 22 points from guard Isaac McKneely. Virginia shot 57.1% from 3-point range and tallied 21 assists.

On Tuesday, however, the Orange have an opportunity to bounce back at home against Cornell. The Big Red enjoyed a 79-71 win over Lafayette in their last game and have won seven of the first eight this year.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse will do versus Cornell:

Cole Bambini (7-1)
Confidence booster
Syracuse 78, Cornell 61

This game comes at the perfect time for Syracuse. Following its worst loss of the season at Virginia, the Orange are in need of a game to get back in the win column a few weeks before they face Oregon in South Dakota and play the rest of its ACC schedule.

Cornell can score the ball and I think it will be a good test for the Orange’s man defense to control the tempo against a team who likes to play fast. Judah Mintz shouldn’t be limited against the Big Red like he was against UVA. Chris Bell and Justin Taylor can find their rhythm again on their home floor.

Though it’s not the biggest resume-building win, a defeat will generate a lot of questions of how Syracuse could compete in the ACC. The Orange will ensure there isn’t any doubt versus Cornell Tuesday, entering Georgetown with a comfortable win over the Big Red.

Henry O’Brien (8-0)
Big Orange over Big Red
Syracuse 72, Cornell 59
Syracuse needs to find a way to play consistently. It can’t just keep having J.J. Starling, Bell and Taylor be occasionally good. Against a weaker team in Cornell, the Orange need to show that they are definitively the better team. SU must stuff the stat sheet with rebounds, deep shots and opponent turnovers.

Sure enough, the Big Red have an awful turnover rate, a defense that’s inefficient at stopping 2-pointers and doesn’t steal the ball enough. There is no great talent on Cornell’s roster, so SU’s players that have questions like Bell, Taylor and Naheem McLeod should dominate.

Can the Orange do this? Absolutely, especially against Cornell. But this team has also shown time and time again that consistency still needs some work.

Tyler Schiff (7-1)
Back to square one
Syracuse 82, Cornell 60

Following Syracuse’s away loss to Virginia, head coach Adrian Autry said it had to move on. Starling and Bell echoed the sentiment by saying they wouldn’t do anything extra — SU planned on looking through film before attempting to execute any improvements in practice or during the following game. It was the best thing to do.

Cornell provides the perfect matchup for a Syracuse team looking for a confidence-boosting win. Though the Big Red sport a 7-1 record this season, it doesn’t have the talent or athleticism to topple SU. Mintz will likely bounce back from his 5-point outing in Charlottesville and Bell could hopefully find his stroke again from range.

No singular “key to success” jumps off the page for SU Tuesday. Yet, a big win is necessary. If the Orange squeak by or slump to their fourth defeat in 2023-24, questions will begin to snowball.

Published on December 5, 2023 at 12:25 am