Teams: Syracuse Orange (11-15, 4-12) against Demon Deacons of Wake Forest (13-14, 3-13)
Day and time: Thursday, February 24, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Television/Broadcast: Additional ACC network
Radio: Cuse.comESPN 97.7
Rivalry: Syracuse, 7-2
Current series: Syracuse, 1
First meeting: It took until Syracuse joined the ACC for the teams to meet. The Orange came away with a 64-54 win at North Carolina in March 2014.
Last meeting: Syracuse edged Wake 85-78 on Feb. 4, 2021 at the Dome. Digna Strautmane played all 40 minutes and led a quartet of Orange players into double figures with 17.
Head Coaches: Syracuse – Vonn Read (1st year, 11-15) | Wake Forest – Jen Hoover (Grade 10, 139-167)
Coach Biography: Hoover is a Wake Forest alumna, graduating in 1991, earning three All-ACC selections during her four-year career. It was a long, winding road to his alma mater. She broke into coaching in 1994, making assistant coaching stops in Memphis, California and Virginia, to name a few schools.
She got her first head coaching job at High Point in 2011. She only lasted one season before Wake was called up. Hoover’s 10 seasons at Winston-Salem were not filled with much success. The 2015-16 season was the only time the Deacons finished over .500 during his tenure and even that was just a 17-16 campaign.
Last year: Despite a 12-13 record and an 8-10 ACC rating, the Demon Deacons managed to secure a general offer for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Wake went home early, losing 84-61 to Oklahoma State.
“Fear Me, I’ve Slain Hundreds of Time Lords”: Jewel Spear has a cool name and is one of the best players in the ACC. She averages 18.6 points per game and shoots 41% from the field. She scored 40 points against East Tennessee State and added 32 against Cornell in the non-conference. She has five games of 20 or more points in ACC play.
If Syracuse wins: It’s about sowing in the ACC Tournament That much. If the Orange win, they will have a solid hold on the 11th seed.
If Syracuse loses: Wake jumps into the 11-spot. The Orange could face the Demon Deacons, Clemson or Pitt in Greensboro.
Fun fact: Syracuse’s offense has been in turmoil over the past few games. The orange attack had very good nights and very bad ones. Syracuse’s season-high in points is 116 against Central Connecticut. Their season low is 43 against UNC. That’s a range of 73 points. It’s a microcosm of Syracuse’s struggles for consistency this season.
