Syracuse @ Georgia Tech preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Georgia Tech 73, Syracuse 59

Syracuse finds itself in an unfamiliar place entering Saturday’s matchup at Georgia Tech, as the Orange have lost three consecutive non-conference games for the first time since 1979. Those defeats to Oklahoma State, Penn State and Iowa came by an average of 16.3 points, and with a loss Saturday to the Yellow Jackets, Syracuse would have a four-game losing streak for just the seventh time in Jim Boeheim’s 44-year tenure as head coach.

“We’ll get better, but we’re not ready for these games,” Boeheim told reporters after Tuesday’s 68-54 home loss to Iowa. “We’re trying to play our best offensive players and they’re just not scoring enough.” The Orange have yet to beat a team from a major conference, including a 48-34 loss to Virginia in their ACC opener on Nov. 6. Georgia Tech comes in off its best performance of the season, a 73-56 home victory over Nebraska on Wednesday as sophomore guard Michael Devoe continued his hot offensive start to the season with 26 points. “My teammates made good reads, and we executed very well tonight,” Devoe told reporters postgame as he continues shouldering the scoring load with junior point guard Jose Alvarado sidelined with a right ankle sprain.

TV: Noon ET, ACC Network

ABOUT SYRACUSE (4-4, 0-1 ACC): The Orange shot just 36.5 percent from the field against Iowa and have been held to less than 40 percent shooting in all four of their defeats. Junior forward Elijah Hughes leads Syracuse in scoring at 17.9 points and is shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range, but finished 3-for-13 from the field Tuesday. Freshman guard Joseph Girard III began the weekend fifth in the country in free-throw shooting at 95.5 percent.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (4-2, 1-0): Devoe entered the weekend leading the ACC and ranking sixth in the nation in scoring at 23.8 points. Senior forward/center James Banks III ranked first in the country in blocked shots per game (4.67) and has recorded a double-double in three of his first six games, averaging 11.8 points and 9.3 rebounds. The Yellow Jackets held Nebraska to 32.3 percent shooting from the field, and have only allowed one opponent to shoot 40 percent or better.

TIP-INS

1. Four of Georgia Tech’s first six games have been decided by four points or fewer, including two overtime contests.

2. Syracuse junior F Marek Dolezaj scored a team-high 12 points Tuesday after scoring 10 in the loss to Penn State.

3. A victory Saturday would give Georgia Tech its first 2-0 start in ACC play since 2005-06.

PREDICTION: Georgia Tech 69, Syracuse 64