Orange Have "Big Monday" Matchup at #16/18 Tar Heels

Game Details: Monday, February 2, Chapel Hill, N.C., 7:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN
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On the heels of a 14-point win over Notre Dame, Syracuse (13-9, 4-5 ACC) heads to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on #16/18 North Carolina (17-4, 5-3 ACC) at the Dean E. Smith Center on Monday evening. It's a "Big Monday" matchup on ESPN.

Keep it Rolling
The Orange got back in the win column over the weekend, defeating Notre Dame 86-72 at the Dome.

The victory was fueled by a pair of season-best performances from seniors Nate Kingz and J.J. Starling. Starling stole the show in the first half, scoring 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 (1.000) shooting. He finished the game with 21 points and five assists. Kingz poured in a game-high 28 points, scoring 22 in the second half. He rattled home 11 field goals, the most shots made by an SU player in a game this season.

Senior William Kyle III anchored the paint, grabbing eight rebounds and swatting away two shots to go with 10 points.

The Orange finished shooting 32-of-56 (.571) from the field and benefited from 21 assists. Senior Naithan George ended up with 10 assists while not committing a turnover.

Getting it Done From 3-Point Range
Syracuse has knocked down 73-of-193 (.378) of its attempts from beyond the arc against conference opponents, the fourth highest percentage mark in the ACC.

Kingz is leading the charge from 3-point range, having knocked down 21 triples since starting ACC play. Over his last five appearances, he's shooting 16-of-30 (.533) on his 3-point tries. Kingz posted a new season high in the against Notre Dame, scoring 28 points with five 3-pointers made.

Senior J.J. Starling initiated his 21-point performance against Notre Dame via the 3-pointer, starting 3-of-3 (1.000) from deep on his way to 17 first-half points. Sophomore Tyler Betsey had multiple makes from 3-point range against the Fighting Irish as well, drilling 2-of-4 (.500) attempts to give him 36 makes on the year.

The Syracuse Block Party
Syracuse is among the nation's top shot blocking teams, averaging 6.0 rejections per game, tied for the third most in the nation. Opponents have mustered just 70.0 points per game against the Orange defense.

Kyle III is a key contributor on the defensive end, averaging 2.68 blocks per game, tied for the third in Division I.

Scouting North Carolina
The Tar Heels enter Monday's contest at 17-4 overall and riding a three-game winning streak. The consecutive triumphs came against Notre Dame, #17/17 Virginia and Georgia Tech. North Carolina won the contests by an average of 14.3 points and scored 85 or more in each game.

North Carolina is led freshman Caleb Wilson. The rookie is averaging 20.0 points to go with a league-best 9.9 rebounds per game in his first 21 appearances. He has scored 20 points or more in each of the past three games, giving him 15 such totals this season.

Henri Veesaar supplements the offense with 16.8 points per game while grabbing 9.0 rebounds. He has accumulated two double-doubles during the winning streak, posting 15 points and 12 boards against Notre Dame and 20 points and 12 rebounds against Georgia Tech.

Coach Hubert Davis is in his fifth season piloting the Tar Heels. Since taking over for longtime head coach Roy Williams, Davis has posted a record of 118-49. He served as an assistant coach under Williams from 2012-21.

The Tar Heels have been to three NCAA Tournaments under Davis, including earning a No. 1 overall seed during the 2023-24 season and reaching the National Championship game before falling to Kansas in the 2021-22 season.

Series History
The Orange and Tar Heels have clashed 25 times before with North Carolina owning an 18-7 edge.

Despite Starling scoring 22 points, North Carolina won last year's matchup, 88-82, at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Syracuse Tickets
Season and individual tickets are available at cuse.com/feature/basketball-tickets

Orange Have "Big Monday" Matchup at #16/18 Tar Heels

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Betsey

Naithan George

Nate Kingz

William Kyle III

J.J. Starling

Syracuse University Athletics