Chris Bell Returns Home, Leads Syracuse Against Stanford

Chris Bell gets a homecoming moment on Wednesday night as he leads Syracuse into an ACC showdown against Stanford in the San Francisco Bay Area. The junior forward, who previously played under the name Chris Bunch at De La Salle High, will look to help the Orange snap a two-game losing streak against a red-hot Cardinal team.

Bell’s Bay Area Homecoming

Bell’s journey to Syracuse started in the Bay Area, where he spent three seasons at De La Salle before transferring to Wasatch Academy in Utah for his senior year. The 6-foot-7 forward chose Syracuse largely due to the opportunity to play under Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim.

“In high school, I used to always tell my dad I wanted to play for a legendary coach,” Bell recalled. “That’s what I got coming to Syracuse and playing for Coach Boeheim. It’s an honor to be able to say, ‘Yeah, that was my coach for a year.’”

After finishing second in the ACC in three-point shooting last season (42.0%), Bell has struggled this year, dropping to 31.6%. However, he has shown flashes of his shooting touch, going 14-for-28 from beyond the arc over his past seven games.

He was efficient from deep in Syracuse’s last outing, a 77-73 loss to Pittsburgh, where he made four of nine three-point attempts for 12 points.

Stanford’s Sharpshooters Heating Up

Stanford (14-6, 6-3 ACC) has been rolling, winning three straight and five of its last six. The Cardinal boast two of the ACC’s top three-point threats in Oziyah Sellers and Maxime Raynaud, who rank among the conference leaders in made threes.

Sellers stole the spotlight in Stanford’s most recent game, a 78-71 win over Florida State, exploding for a career-high 27 points while hitting four of five three-pointers.

Still, Sellers was most excited about a rare dunk in the game.

Raynaud, a 7-footer who can stretch the floor, has hit 36 threes this season while continuing to be a force in the paint. His versatility will be a challenge for the Orange defense.

Syracuse Looking to Snap Losing Streak

The Orange (9-11, 3-6 ACC) have lost two straight and will need a strong performance to slow down Stanford’s offense. Syracuse has leaned heavily on Bell’s shooting, but they’ll need more contributions across the board to keep pace with the Cardinal.

Stanford enters the game with momentum, while Syracuse looks to turn things around. With Bell back in his hometown, the Orange will try to shake off their recent struggles and make a statement on the road.