Syracuse men’s basketball is close to having its full game schedule locked in, and the Orange now have a pretty clear picture of when most of the action will unfold this season.
The first full week of October has been a packed one for the program. Wednesday brought the ACC Tip-Off event in Charlotte, N.C., and Friday is Syracuse media day at the Carmelo Anthony Center. In between those stops, the schedule details have continued to come into focus as the Orange move toward the first game of the Gerry McNamara era.
On the non-conference side, a number of dates and TV assignments are already set. Syracuse opens with New Haven on Monday, Nov. 2, followed by Central Connecticut State on Thursday, Nov.
- The Orange then face Indiana on Monday, Nov. 9 at a neutral site before heading to St.
John’s on Sunday, Nov. 15 for a 7 p.m. game on Peacock.
Cornell comes to town on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. on ACC Network, with Lafayette next on Saturday, Nov. 21 and Albany on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Syracuse then heads to Oklahoma for the SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 1, with that game set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
The rest of the non-conference slate includes Colgate on Tuesday, Dec. 8, Mercyhurst on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. on ACC Network, Canisius on Wednesday, Dec. 16, and Providence at a neutral site on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 12 p.m. on FOX.
The Orange close that portion of the schedule with Binghamton on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 4 p.m. on ACC Network. Syracuse also has a neutral-site game against Rutgers on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. on ESPN.
The ACC schedule starts on Dec. 29 with a trip to Florida State. That game will air on the ACC Network and tip at 6:00 p.m. ET.
From there, Syracuse’s conference calendar runs through a mix of home dates, road trips, and a West Coast swing. Georgia Tech visits on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 12 p.m. on The CW, followed by Duke on Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2. The Orange then travel to Miami on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 3 p.m. on ACC Network and to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
Louisville comes to Syracuse on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU, and Boston College visits on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. on ACC Network. North Carolina is next on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 12 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2 or ESPNU before the Orange head to Stanford on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 11 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU and then to California on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
Virginia comes to Syracuse on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, and the Orange visit Clemson on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU. Stanford returns the trip on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 or ESPNU, Syracuse plays at SMU on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2:15 p.m. on The CW, and the regular-season conference slate closes against Wake Forest on Saturday, Mar. 6 at 5:30 p.m. on The CW.
Before all of that, Syracuse has three exhibition games to get through. The Orange open with UConn on Tuesday, then face Siena on Oct. 18 and Niagara on Oct. 24.
In Other News...
Syracuse Faces A New Quarterback Test Fran Brown Couldn't Avoid
Fran Brown had little choice but to reshuffle the quarterback picture this week, with Syracuse set to turn to Malachi Nelson against Virginia after injuries knocked Amari Odom and Steve Angeli out of the mix. Odom is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury, while Angeli is already out, leaving the Orange to pivot to a passer with plenty of pedigree but still a lot to prove in this setting.
Nelson arrives with the kind of rsum that keeps coaches intrigued, a former top recruit who has already moved through multiple schools before landing at Syracuse. Now the Orange need him to stabilize a position that has suddenly become fragile, and the timing makes this more than just another lineup change. For Brown, it is a quarterback decision he could not dodge, and for Nelson it is another chance to show he can handle a stage that has been waiting for him. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Faces A Sudden QB Twist Ahead Of Virginia
Syracuses quarterback picture took a sudden turn heading into Virginia, with Amari Odom downgraded to doubtful and Steve Angeli ruled out. That leaves Malachi Nelson expected to take the first snaps for the Orange, a significant shift at a position that had already been under the spotlight as the team prepared for a key ACC matchup.
The changes do not stop there. Running back Shavane Anderson Jr. has been ruled out, while linebacker Antoine Deslauriers and defensive back Nazir Ward are both listed as questionable, adding more uncertainty on both sides of the ball. For a Syracuse team trying to steady itself before kickoff, the injury report has turned into a major part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads Into Virginia With A New Question At Quarterback
A week that already carried plenty of uncertainty around Syracuses offense now seems set to put Malachi Nelson back in the spotlight. With Amari Odom listed as doubtful and Steve Angeli ruled out on the latest injury report, the Orange are expected to turn to Nelson at quarterback when they visit Virginia, giving the former top high school recruit another chance to steer the attack.
It will be Nelsons seventh collegiate start, a reminder of how much experience he has picked up even as the search for stability continues at the position. Syracuse has been navigating injuries at quarterback all week, and the trip to Virginia now brings a fresh layer of pressure, with the Orange needing Nelson to settle in quickly and give the offense a workable rhythm. [Read more 🡒]