Syracuse (4-0) takes on South Carolina (5-0) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. SU is coming off a 101-59 victory over South Carolina State on Tuesday, while the Gamecocks beat No. 25 Michigan, 61-46, on Wednesday.

Connor Grossman (4-0)
Game on
Syracuse 74, South Carolina 62

Jim Boeheim said he thinks his team is ready for better competition after Tuesday’s 42-point walloping of South Carolina State. Well, here comes the first of many litmus tests this season. South Carolina isn’t elite by any measure, but versatile guard Sindarius Thornwell is bound to give SU trouble on the boards and help keep the game within reach. The Orange has proven it can shoot it though, even from unexpected corners of the roster. A handful of double-digit performances keep Syracuse undefeated through five games.

Matt Schneidman (4-0)
Thorn in the side
Syracuse 71, South Carolina 67

South Carolina’s Thornwell is more than capable of scoring more than 20 on any night, as he did for half of his double-double in a 15-point win over No. 25 Michigan in the Gamecocks’ last contest. The Orange will be truly tested for the first time this season, and it’ll actually need that scoring depth it flashed against South Carolina State on Tuesday. Expect the big boys to lead the way — Andrew White and Tyler Lydon — as SU narrowly escapes an early season upset on neutral ground.

Paul Schwedelson (4-0)
A real Game(cock)
Syracuse 67, South Carolina 60

Syracuse faces its toughest matchup of the young season thus far and the margin of victory will be finally less than 20 points. The Orange has spent the first four games tinkering with lineup combinations but the Gamecocks put SU to the test at the Barclays Center. Expect Syracuse’s go-to players — White and Lydon — to carry the Orange late in the second half.