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Syracuse concludes its West Coast trip with a matchup against the University of California on Saturday. SU is on a three-game skid, with its latest shortcoming being a 70-61 loss to Stanford, in which the Orange trailed 17-0. The most they trailed by was 23 in the first half, and although they battled back to make it a closer game in the second half, it wasn’t enough.

Previous losses against Pittsburgh and Clemson have brought Syracuse down to 15th place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings. Cal sits one game above SU in 11th, but if the Orange defeats the Golden Bears, it’ll bring them level. If Syracuse fails to win, then the prospect of missing the ACC Tournament grows larger. Due to the conference’s expansion, the bottom three teams won’t make it. Syracuse is only half a game out of one of those spots.

Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse (9-12, 3-7 ACC) will fare against Cal (11-10, 4-6 ACC) in their second-ever meeting:

Zak Wolf (17-3)
A win?
Syracuse 78, Cal 73

Syracuse’s comeback win over Notre Dame felt like ages ago at this point. Looking back, if SU didn’t win that game, they’d be on a five-game losing streak. The bar for this team is pretty low, but I think they’ll get back on track against Cal. The Golden Bears will likely be without their leading scorer, Andrej Stojakovic, who’s missed the last three games. Cal has gone 2-1 without him, but one of its wins came against Miami, who is 4-17.

Without Stojakovic, Cal will likely key in on freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson, who’s averaged over 21 across the last three games. If the Orange can keep Wilkinson from having an explosive outing, it should come out with a win. I also doubt J.J. Starling will have another outing where he goes 3-for-16 like he did against Stanford. Even without Starling playing well, SU battled back against Stanford. I think the Orange will continue that momentum into Saturday.

If Syracuse doesn’t win this game, then the risk of not making the ACC tournament will become larger every day. With how bad Syracuse has played this season, there aren’t many freebies on the schedule, but this one is definitely a winnable game. Syracuse can’t pass up on the chance, nor do I think they will, or they risk having their most embarrassing season in program history.

Aiden Stepansky (19-2)
Let the bad times roll
Syracuse 71, Cal 75

As Zak said, falling in this game only further adds to the embarrassment for Syracuse this season. The Orange are on a season-high three-game losing streak and continue to trickle down the ACC standings. So, what tells me this team has the strength right now to get back in the win column?

Yes, Stojakovic’s absence gives SU a much better chance at winning this game. But Wilkinson has been ultra-impressive as of late, even when he’s inefficient from beyond the arc. Against Miami, Wilkinson dropped 30 even while going 1-for-10 from 3. If he can get some triples to drop, he’ll pose a huge threat for Syracuse, who’ve allowed an opponent to score 20 or more points in each of its last six games.

Through SU’s struggles, its rebounding has still stood as an advantage. Cal’s rebounding strength will mitigate any dominant presence from the Orange, halting their inside game. Starling won’t have the same struggles as Stanford likely, but I don’t see it being enough.

Unlike The Cars say in their 1978 hit, “Good Times Roll,” Syracuse will let the bad times roll in this one, adding to a losing streak before a likely decimation against Duke Wednesday.

Justin Girshon (17-4)
History repeats itself
Syracuse 72, Cal 77

Syracuse isn’t very good. One glance at its record tells you that. But what that doesn’t necessarily tell you is the Orange haven’t won a single game versus a quality opponent. Across Quad 1 and 2 games, they’re an impressive 0-11. Five of SU’s final 10 games are against Quad 1 or 2 opponents, beginning with Cal on Saturday.

Personally, I see no reason to believe that the trend won’t continue facing the Golden Bears. While Cal is arguably the worst-best team the Orange will face to conclude a nightmare season, especially with Stojakovic potentially sidelined, it has a more talented roster than them.

With Donnie Freeman still out, Starling and Eddie Lampkin Jr. are Syracuse’s only players averaging double-digit scoring. Meanwhile, not counting Stojakovic, the Golden Bears have Wilkinson, BJ Omot and Jovan Blacksher Jr.

On the road against a formidable squad, the Orange have given zero reason to believe they’ll pull off an upset win.

Published on January 31, 2025 at 9:43 pm