This will be the first-ever meeting between the schools. Jacksonville State was 13-19 overall and 8-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), last season. The Gamecocks lost to Eastern Illinois, 67-61, in the first round of the OVC Tournament, ending their season.
Jacksonville State is located in Jacksonville, Alabama. Its head coach is Ray Harper, who has posted an 80-56 record in four seasons at the school, including an OVC Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017, his first season.
Syracuse was 18-14 last season and had won its first ACC Tournament game over North Carolina before the coronavirus pandemic ended the college-basketball season. Syracuse returns four of five starters, including junior guard Buddy Boeheim (15.3 points per game).