Smu Mustangs vs Syracuse Orange Picks and Predictions March 4th 2025

SMU Hunts ACC Tournament Double-Bye vs. Syracuse

SMU’s inaugural ACC season has been a rollercoaster, and as they prepare for their final home game, the Mustangs (21-8, 12-6 ACC) hope to secure a double-bye in the ACC Tournament with a win over Syracuse (12-17, 6-12 ACC) on Tuesday night.

SMU Fighting for Key Tournament Positioning

The Mustangs have struggled to find consistency, failing to win back-to-back games since mid-February. Their recent inconsistency coincides with the absence of leading scorer Boopie Miller, who has been sidelined for five games with a foot injury.

Miller, averaging 13.4 points and 5.7 assists per game, remains questionable for Tuesday. Head coach Andy Enfield provided an update after Saturday’s 73-68 loss at Stanford.

“He’s really improved in his injury and is rehabbing,” Enfield said. “We’re very hopeful he can come back next week.”

Without Miller, Kario Oquendo has stepped up, averaging 13.0 points per game in his absence, including a 25-point outburst against Notre Dame.

Syracuse Struggling Without Donnie Freeman

The Orange have also faced adversity, losing freshman standout Donnie Freeman (13.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG) to a season-ending foot injury in early January. Since then, Syracuse has gone 6-9, including 1-4 in its last five games.

Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry remains optimistic despite recent struggles, emphasizing the team’s resilience.

“Every loss is tough, but we’ll get ourselves ready to go fight in the next game,” Autry said after an overtime loss to Virginia Tech. “There’s no quit in them.”

ACC Tournament Seeding at Stake

Both teams have clinched spots in the 15-team ACC Tournament, but seeding remains in flux:

• SMU is currently the No. 4 seed and would earn a double-bye into the quarterfinals with a strong finish.
• Syracuse sits in a three-way tie for the No. 13 seed, battling with Cal and Notre Dame to avoid an early-round matchup.

Key Players to Watch

• SMU:
  • Kario Oquendo (13.0 PPG in the last five games) has stepped into a lead role in Miller’s absence.
  • Chuck Harris (12.5 PPG) and Tyreek Smith (7.3 RPG) provide scoring and rebounding stability.
• Syracuse:
  • J.J. Starling (18.3 PPG) remains the offensive focal point.
  • Jaquan Carlos (3.9 APG, 10th in ACC) facilitates the offense.

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What’s at Stake?

• For SMU: A win would secure a top-four seed and a valuable double-bye in the ACC Tournament.
• For Syracuse: The Orange look to end their skid and improve their ACC seeding with an upset victory.

With SMU battling for a key tournament position and Syracuse eager to play spoiler, expect a hard-fought contest in Dallas as the ACC Tournament looms.