Syracuse Concludes Non-Conference Slate With Bucknell

Game Details: Saturday, Dec. 28, Syracuse, N.Y., 2 p.m.
TV: The CW
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Syracuse (5-6) wraps up its non-conference schedule Saturday when it hosts Bucknell (4-8) at the JMA Wireless Dome. The contest is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and will be televised live on The CW.

Setting The Stage
The Orange suffered an 87-60 setback against Maryland last Saturday in the Gotham Classic at the Barclays Center. Freshmen Elijah Moore and Donnie Freeman combined for 31 points in the defeat, with Kyle Cuffe Jr. also scoring in double figures.

The Bison fell at No. 13/14 Gonzaga last Saturday, 86-65. Noah Williamson scored 16 points, with Josh Bascoe (14) and Jayden Williams (10) also reaching double figures. Bucknell has lost six consecutive contests and holds a 2-4 mark in true road games this season.

Bucknell is led by second-year head coach John Griffen III, who guided the Bison to the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament in his debut campaign with the program a season ago.

The Syracuse-Bucknell Series
Syracuse holds a 10-1 advantage in the all-time series against Bucknell. The teams last met on Nov. 23, 2019, with Syracuse coming out on top, 97-46. The first clash between the teams came in 1915, with only three of the 11 meetings in the series coming since 1989.

Freshman Firepower
Syracuse's three freshmen all turned in impressive performance against Maryland. Moore led the Orange in scoring with 16 points, 14 of which came in the second half. He went 7-of-11 from the field and connected on a pair of 3-pointers. His 14 triples lead the Orange on the season. Moore is averaging 13.2 points over the last six games, scoring in double figures in four of them.

Freeman recorded all 15 of his points in the second half, finishing 6-of-10 from the field. It was Freeman's fifth time reaching double figures in the last six outings and is averaging 16.7 points per contest in that stretch. He also pulled down seven rebounds and posted a career-best four assists against the Terrapins.

Petar Majstorovic made an impact in his 11 minutes against Maryland. He five rebounds, set a new career high with three assists and delivered his first career block. He has five or more rebounds in four of his last six appearances.

Carlos Rising
Jaquan Carlos has turned in the two best scoring performances of his Syracuse tenure in the last three outings. The senior recorded a 12-point, 12-assist double-double against Albany and backed that up with a season-best 15 points against Georgetown.

Carlos' double-double was the first that included assists since Judah Mintz posted 10 points and 13 assists against Miami on Jan. 20, 2024. His 51 assists this season lead the Orange and are the seventh most in the ACC.

After shooting just 11 free throws in the first eight games this season, Carlos has made 15 trips to the line in the last three contests. He converted on 14 of those attempts, which included an 8-for-8 effort against the Hoyas.

Crashing The Glass
As a team, Syracuse averages 38 rebounds per contest, the fifth most in the ACC. The Orange have a plus-3.4 margin on the season and have grabbed double-digit offensive boards six times on the campaign. Three different Syracuse players have pulled down 10 or more rebounds in a game this season – Freeman (five times), Eddie Lampkin Jr. (three times) and Jyare Davis (one time).

Scouting Bucknell
The Bison started the season 4-2 with victories over Delaware, Southern Indiana, Richmond and NJIT. However, Bucknell has suffered six straight setbacks, a streak that began on Nov. 23 with a home loss to Rider. Three of the defeats have come in road games, including contests at Maryland and No. 13/14 Gonzaga.

Bascoe is the Bison's leading scorer, as he averages 14.1 points per outing. Williamson (13.6) and Ian Motta (10.1) also average double figures. Bascoe is Bucknell's leading 3-point shooter with 22 makes on the season.

Bucknell's top rebounder is Williamson, who averages 6.2 per contest. Williamson's 17 blocks also lead Bucknell. Bascoe's 45 assists are pacing the Bison, while Achile Spadone leads the team with 13 steals.

Freeman, Lampkin Jr. Make Preseason Watch Lists
Freeman is one of 20 players to make the preseason watch list for the 2025 Karl Malone Award, which recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men's basketball. Freeman, a McDonald's All-American and the second-highest Syracuse recruit in program history, is one of two freshmen to make this year's Malone Award watch list.

Freeman is Syracuse's second leading scorer this season with 13.5 points per outing. He has four double-doubles in the team's first 11 games and has scored in double figures seven times.

Lampkin Jr. is one of 20 preseason watch-list candidates for the 2025 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which goes to the top center in men's college basketball. Lampkin Jr. is in his first year with the Orange and is averaging 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest with two double-doubles.

The list for both awards will be narrowed to 10 in late January, and then to just five in late February. In March, the five finalists for both awards will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar, Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where winners will be selected.

Orange fans are encouraged to participate in three rounds of Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, on hoophallawards.com.

Tickets
Syracuse men's basketball tickets are available online (cuse.com/tickets), by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) and at the Dome Box Office (Gate B).

For complete coverage of Syracuse men's basketball, follow the team on X (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (@cuse_mbb).

Syracuse Concludes Non-Conference Slate With Bucknell

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Players Mentioned

Jaquan Carlos

Kyle Cuffe Jr.

Donnie Freeman

Eddie Lampkin Jr.

Petar Majstorovic

Judah Mintz

Elijah Moore

Syracuse University Athletics