Orange Return Home For Contest With Cardinals

Game Details: Wednesday, Feb. 7, Syracuse, N.Y., 7 p.m.
TV: ACC Network
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Syracuse (14-8, 5-6 ACC) returns home for a showdown with Louisville (7-15, 2-9) on Wednesday, February 6, at 7 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome.

SETTING THE STAGE
The Orange look to rebound after dropping two of their last three. Syracuse has a 10-1 record at home this season.

The Cardinals most recently defeated Florida State at home, 101-92. Louisville's 101 points was the second most total points by a team in ACC contests this season.

THE SYRACUSE-LOUISVILLE SERIES
Louisville owns a 19-12 series advantage and is Syracuse's fifth most frequent ACC foe. The programs are set for the 32nd all-time meeting. The Orange have won the past two affairs against the Cardinals, most recently edging Louisville, 70-69, on Jan. 3, 2023. The Cards last took a victory when they hosted the Orange on Feb. 19, 2020, and won 90-66.

LAST TIME OUT
The Orange had four performers score in double-figures: sophomore backcourt duo J.J. Starling (15 points) and Judah Mintz (13), and sophomore forwards Quadir Copeland (11) and Justin Taylor (10). Mintz dished a team-best six assists and swiped two steals. Brown grabbed eight boards for his 11th consecutive game with five-or-more rebounds.

ORANGE LEADERS
Mintz sits at fourth in the ACC in scoring average with 18.2 points per game. He has contributed at least 20 points in 10 of the squad's 22 contests this season. Starling averages 12.8 points per game this season and 18.0 over the last six outings. Brown is atop the team in rebound average with 6.6 boards per game. In ACC contests, Brown averages 7.8 rebounds per affair.

Syracuse is second in the ACC in turnovers forced per game (14.8) and steals per game (9.1). Mintz and Brown have the most impact on the squad in the two categories as they rank second and third in the conference in steals per outing, respectively. Mintz averages 2.14 steals per game and Brown averages 1.95.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Four of Louisville's starters average double-figure scoring: sophomore swingman Mike James (13.6 points), sophomore guards Skyy Clark (12.8) and Tre White (12.4), and junior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (11.6). Huntley-Hatfield leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game. Reserve guard Ty-Laur Johnson, a freshman, averages 8.7 points per game and is first on the squad in assists (75) and steals (24). The Cardinals have played without senior forward JJ Traynor (10.1 ppg.) since Dec. 3, 2023.

SYRACUSE FANS CAN VOTE MINTZ FOR COUSY AWARD
Mintz is one of 20 watch-list candidates for the 2024 Bob Cousy Award, which is annually presented to the top point guard in Division I men's basketball. Orange followers are encouraged to participate in three rounds of Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, on hoophallawards.com.

Mintz is also on the watch list for the Naismith Trophy. The list is comprised of 50 student-athletes and will be narrowed throughout the year. The winner of the award will be announced later in the season.

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 Twitter (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (@cuse_mbb).

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Players Mentioned

J.J. Starling

Syracuse University Athletics