After a long holiday break following a loss to Clemson, Virginia returns to the hardwood on Saturday night, when they open the new year at Syracuse (6 pm, ACCN). UVa is looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Tigers on their home floor, as they attempt to get back above .500 in ACC play.

Syracuse enters with an identical 7-5 record, and a 1-0 mark in ACC play. The Orange started off league play with a win over Florida State, winning a close 63-60 affair in what could be described as an upset. In non-conference play, the Orange faired a bit like UVa did, with some disappointing losses and relatively comfortable wins over overmatched opponents, with one solid win over a good team. Syracuse lost games to Colgate and Georgetown, both sub-100 KenPom teams, and also lost to Auburn, Villanova and VCU. Their best non-conference win came over Indiana in the ACC/B1G challenge, and the Orange also took care of Arizona State on a neutral floor.

Like many teams, Syracuse had a long pause in December as COVID issues emerged. The Orange returned to action this week with a pair of wins over Brown and Cornell, so it seems that Syracuse should go into Saturday’s game somewhere close to full strength.