Orange Take on #18/17 Virginia Saturday

Game Details: Saturday, February 7, Charlottesville, Va., 12:00 p.m.
Live Stream: ESPN
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Syracuse (13-10, 4-6 ACC) travels to Charlottesville, Va. on Saturday to take on #18/17 Virginia (19-3, 8-2 ACC) in its second consecutive matchup against a Top-20 opponent.

Keep Firing
Syracuse has found its stroke from 3-point range, shooting 79-of-211 (.374) over its last 10 games for the fourth-best mark in the ACC during that span. Since starting its conference schedule, the Orange have knocked down 10 or more 3-pointers in four contests, most recently in the win over Notre Dame.

Senior Nate Kingz has drilled 23 3-pointers since ACC play began, including two games with five made triples (against Boston College and Notre Dame). He's hit multiple 3-pointers in six of his last seven games and has connected on at least one in 12 straight contests.

Sophomore Tyler Betsey has connected at a high clip from beyond the arc, hitting 17-of-33 (.515) shots from 3-point range during league play.

Freeman Paces the Offense
Sophomore Donnie Freeman has continued to lead the way offensively, averaging 18.6 points per game. He has scored 20 or more points in seven of his 14 appearances this year. Since starting conference play, Freeman has posted an 18.4 scoring average, good for the sixth highest mark in the ACC.

Freeman posted 23 points against the Tar Heels earlier this week, marking the 10^th time this season he has led the Orange in scoring.

Over his last four games, he is shooting 25-for-47 (.532). Freeman recorded his second double-double of the year against NC State, scoring 24 points on 9-of-18 (.500) shooting from the field while grabbing 10 rebounds.

Kyle III Named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist
Senior William Kyle III has earned a spot on the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist, one of 25 players nationally being considered for the honor. The award is presented annually to college basketball's most outstanding defensive player.

Kyle III is tied for third in blocked shots (61) and fourth in blocked-shot average (2.65) among Division I performers. He leads the ACC in blocks this season. He has produced three or more blocks in 12 games and posted six twice this season against Delaware State and Tennessee. He has had multiple rejections in the past four games, including two in the most recent contest against North Carolina.

In addition to his contributions on the defensive end, he has added 9.2 points per game and grabbed a squad-best 171 total boards.

Scouting Virginia
Virginia enters Saturday at 19-3 overall record and owns an 8-2 mark in ACC play. The Cavaliers boast the third-best point differential (+15.0) in the ACC and rank sixth in scoring at 83.3 points per game.

The Cavaliers are led by freshman Thijs De Ridder, who averages 16.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. De Ridder scored a season-high 32 points in a double-overtime win over Notre Dame and has recorded double-doubles against Virginia Tech (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Pitt (10 points, 12 rebounds).

De Ridder is one of four Virginia players to average double-digit scoring. Malik Thomas adds 12.8 points per contest, while Chance Mallory and Sam Lewis each contribute 10.5.

The Cavaliers lead the ACC in offensive rebounding with 14.2 per game and rank second in rebound margin at 8.9.

Virginia has several players who flourish on the defensive end. Chance Mallory is second in the conference with 2.0 steals per game, while senior Ugonna Onyenoso ranks second in the conference with 2.5 blocks per game and 55 total. Adding to the defensive effort is Johann Grünloh, who is third in the conference with 48 blocks. Virginia ranks second in the ACC with 5.86 blocks per game, trailing only Syracuse.

First-year head coach Ryan Odom has made an immediate impact at Virginia. Previously the head coach at VCU, Odom led the Rams to a 52-21 record over two seasons, including an Atlantic-10 Championship and an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2024-25 season. Before VCU, Odom coached UMBC to the first-ever 16-seed over 1-seed upset in NCAA Tournament history when he defeated Virginia in 2018.

Series History
Syracuse and Virginia have met 21 times, with the Cavaliers holding a 14-7 edge in the series. The Orange won the most recent matchup, 84-70, last season at the JMA Wireless Dome. Eddie Lampkin posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

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

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Betsey

Donnie Freeman

Nate Kingz

William Kyle III

Syracuse University Athletics