Syracuse will play Southern Methodist University (SMU) in the opening round of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament on March 10 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
The matchup is significant as both teams look to advance in the tournament, with the winner set to face sixth-seeded Louisville on March 11 at 2:30 p.m. Syracuse enters the contest with a record of 15-16 overall and 6-12 in conference play, while SMU holds a 19-12 overall record and an 8-10 mark in the ACC.
This will be the fourth meeting between Syracuse and SMU as ACC members. SMU leads the series two games to one, having won both matchups during the previous season. However, Syracuse claimed victory in their most recent encounter this year, winning 79-78 on February 14 after overcoming a double-digit deficit late in the game. Nate Kingz secured that win with a layup just two seconds before time expired, while Donnie Freeman scored 18 points and Naithan George added 16 points along with six assists.
In their last regular-season game, Syracuse narrowly lost to Pittsburgh in overtime by a score of 71-69. Naithan George led all scorers with a season-high of 26 points, and Donnie Freeman contributed another double-double performance with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Freeman currently leads Syracuse in both scoring (17.0 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 per game), while Kingz has averaged nearly fifteen points over his last seven games.
On defense, William Kyle stands out for Syracuse by ranking among Division I leaders in blocked shots—tied for fifth nationally with eighty blocks—and leading the ACC both in total blocks and average per game (2.58). As a team, Syracuse ranks third nationally for blocks per contest at six.
SMU comes into Tuesday’s matchup following a loss at Florida State where Boopie Miller scored thirty-two points. Miller leads the ACC in minutes played and steals per game, is second in assists average, and ranks fifth among conference scorers at just under twenty points per outing.
