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Syracuse’s third season under head coach Adrian Autry hasn’t gone according to plan. The Orange have posted two separate four-game losing streaks. After all its offseason changes and investments, SU will end with the same or one fewer win in conference play than last year, albeit in two fewer games.

The Orange wrap up their regular season Saturday against Pitt. The Panthers are fighting with Notre Dame for the final spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, while SU is set to be a No. 14 or No. 13 seed. The Panthers and the Orange each won just two games in February, and both of their coaches are on the hot seat.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (15-15, 6-11 ACC) will fare against Pitt (11-19, 4-13 ACC) in the regular-season finale Saturday:

Aiden Stepansky (24-6)
Almost there
Syracuse 78, Pitt 74

The end is near. But first, this will be a bad basketball game. Syracuse and Pitt in the regular-season finale is truly a game for the sickos, and despite its recent four-game losing streak, I’m going to take the Orange to finish with a narrow home victory.

This feels eerily similar to last season’s SU team. A stumbling Orange team finished the regular season with a home win over Virginia, riding some momentum into Charlotte as they were truly in desperation mode. Naithan George said postgame Tuesday in Louisville that SU’s locker room has spoken about the need for an ACC Tournament run. He said if the Orange stay connected and play hard, they can get it done.

I don’t think they’ll get it done, meaning they’d have to run the table in the conference tournament for a bid to March Madness. I don’t think Syracuse will even come close. Still, a win over Pitt is plausible, simply because it’s in the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange have played so poorly on the road that returning home feels like a safe haven. The Panthers, while capturing a nice victory over Cal recently, are not a team that will deter SU.

With these two teams having already played, it’s possible that plays into Pitt’s advantage. Still, I’ll take the Orange to finish the regular season on a positive note and ride high into Charlotte. You don’t want me to break down the numbers between these two teams. Believe me, they’re ugly.

Cooper Andrews (23-7)
For the tie
Syracuse 71, Pitt 72

I actually think the Orange will win this game over an inferior Panthers squad. I’m only picking Pitt because I want to have a chance at tying Aiden in our beat writer predictions standings heading into the ACC Tournament. Don’t blame me; I’m just trying to win.

Syracuse should take a page out of my book.

I’m kidding, obviously. But if SU were to lose this game, it would be because of another instance where it started slower than molasses. Against Louisville Tuesday, the Orange missed their first 12 3-pointers while the Cardinals scored a majority of their 77 points off the 3-ball — canning 14 of them. While Pitt doesn’t have that kind of firepower, Syracuse could dig itself an early hole if it can’t find a shooting stroke.

SU trailed to Louisville 39-21 at halftime. For the sake of me picking the Panthers, I’ll say the Orange suffer an eight-point deficit at halftime Saturday, then crawl back to make it a tight game before falling just short in the end.

Don’t get me wrong, Syracuse is better than Pitt. But the Orange have made losing a habit, one they won’t break to close the regular season on another disappointing note.

Justin Girshon (20-10)
Over .500
Syracuse 77, Pitt 71

History is potentially on the line for Syracuse on Saturday — just not the kind of history that’s positive. If the Orange fall against Pitt, it’ll mark just the fourth time in the last 57 years they suffered an under .500 record in regular season play.

The most recent occurrences were last year and the 2021-22 campaign, while the only other time it happened was when Roy Danforth was at the helm for the 1968-69 season. So, to say the least, joining that company would not be the kind of history Autry’s squad wants to make.

Luckily for SU, the Panthers are tied with Notre Dame for the third-worst record in conference play, and they’re the third-lowest-ranked team in the ACC by KenPom. And as Aiden mentioned above, the Orange will fortunately end the regular season at home and not on the road, where they can’t seem to win a game.

Not to be Captain Obvious, but if Syracuse finishes the regular season with a 16-15 record, it’s by no means a successful season. But it is a heck of a lot better than finishing under .500. And, hey, maybe it’ll give the Orange some momentum heading into the ACC Tournament, where their season ends whenever they lose.

Published on March 5, 2026 at 1:31 am