Syracuse vs Clemson injury report and predictions, March 5: Latest on Alex Hemenway, Naheem McLeod and more

The Syracuse Orange (20-10, 11-8 ACC) visit the Clemson Tigers (20-9, 10-8 ACC) on Tuesday night from the Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC. The matchup between ACC opponents will tip off at 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

Syracuse will look to close out their regular season with their fifth straight win against the Tigers. Their latest matchup saw them take down the Louisville Cardinals 82-76 on Saturday. Clemson is fifth in the ACC and enters this matchup after a 69-62 defeat to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Both teams enter the contest with a full list of names on the injury report. Here's the latest on each team's injuries prior to this matchup.

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Syracuse vs. Clemson basketball injuries

Chance Westry, Syracuse

Auburn transfer Chance Westry will miss the Orange's final game of the season with a lower-body injury sustained in October.

Westry sustained the injury during a practice before the start of this season. He underwent a procedure to repair the injury and was forced to sit out the entirety of the season.

Naheem McLeod, Syracuse

Junior center McLeod suffered a foot injury in January and will miss the rest of the season after having surgery.

McLeod played and started in 14 games this season for the Orange, averaging 3.9 points and 4.3 rebounds, shooting 59.4%.

William Patterson, Syracuse

Freshman center William Patterson will miss the 2023-24 season after electing to redshirt his freshman season.

Alex Hemenway, Clemson

Senior guard Hemenway will remain sidelined for the contest as the Tigers await Hemenway's expected return in mid-March. Hemenway has been out since November with what is classified a lower-body injury due to plantar fasciitis.

As a fifth-year senior, Hemenway averaged 5.2 points, 0.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in five games played for the Tigers this season.

Jack Clark, Clemson

Senior forward Clark is questionable due to an illness. The illness kept Clark out of the Tigers' last game against Notre Dame as well.

Clark has played 18 games this season, starting 10, after transferring to Clemson from NC State. This season, he averages 3.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

Bas Leyte, Clemson

Senior forward Leyte is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Leyte has missed the last three games for the Tigers but could make his return for this game.

The fifth-year senior transfer from UNC Greensboro has played 20 games for Clemson this season, averaging 0.8 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists off the bench.

Jake Heidbreder, Clemson

Junior guard and Air Force transfer Heidbreder is out after redshirting the 2023-24 season due to back surgery. Heidbreder will likely return next season to play with the Tigers after averaging 15.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists for Air Force last season.

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Syracuse vs. Clemson prediction

Syracuse will close out their season against the Clemson Tigers, who have two games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Both teams will be fighting for a chance at an NCAA Tournament bid, with Syracuse sitting fourth in the ACC and Clemson in fifth. These two teams previously met on Feb. 10, with Clemson emerging victorious 77-68.

Syracuse wraps up their regular season on the road on a four-game win streak. Leading the Orange this season with an average of 18.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists is sophomore guard Judah Mintz.

The Orange are coming off an 82-76 victory over Louisville on Saturday on the road. Mintz tallied 21 points and a team-high five assists, with sophomore forward Chris Bell posting a game-high 23 points and adding seven rebounds.

The Clemson Tigers return home before hitting the road again to face Wake Forest on Saturday. The Tigers had won three straight before losing to Notre Dame 69-62 last Saturday.

Senior center PJ Hall has undoubtedly been the leader for the Tigers this season, leading the team in points, steals and blocks. The backcourt duo of Joseph Girard III and Chase Hunter have also played a big part for the Tigers this season, with both men averaging double-figures in scoring and leading the team in assists.

Clemson got a game-high 21 points from PJ Hall against Notre Dame, along with seven rebounds and one block. Junior forward Ian Schieffelin finished with a double-double, recording 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Both teams should come out of the gates with urgency as they fight to climb the standings with the season winding down. Clemson is set as a 9.5-point favorite, according to ESPN BET. The game should be expected to finish closer than that as Syracuse makes a late-season run.

Prediction: CLEM 79-72 SYR