10 questions to define Syracuse men’s basketball’s pivotal season
Our beat writer poses 10 questions that will define SU men's basketball's outlook as they enter a pivotal season. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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Syracuse men’s basketball begins Year 3 of the Adrian Autry era in less than a week, hosting Binghamton in the JMA Wireless Dome on Nov. 3. As the Orange head into a pivotal season, looking to snap their longest NCAA Tournament drought in over five decades, here are 10 questions that will define their season:
10. Sadiq White Jr. was the talk of media day. How much will he contribute?
During the Orange’s Media Day on Oct. 15, Sadiq White Jr. — their top-ranked freshman — received high praise from his head coach and his teammates. Autry said the 6-foot-9 forward has the mentality to be one of the best defenders in college basketball and added his tenacity really excites him.
He also noted the freshman is a “very good offensive player,” though that area has been labeled as a work in progress. White missed SU’s exhibition opener versus Buffalo, so there hasn’t been a glimpse of his game yet, but his instant impact and season-long development will be one of the most interesting storylines to follow.
9. Will Syracuse flip the script on its 3-point shooting?
As the Orange dwindled to the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference standings last year, their 3-point percentage was a key reason why. Syracuse shot 32.8% from beyond the arc, which placed 225th nationally and 13th in the ACC. Meanwhile, just 25.7% of SU’s points came from beyond the arc, ranking 322nd in the country.
Before leaving for his role with the New York Knicks, Eugene Tulyagijja told The Daily Orange he encouraged Autry to have SU attempt at least 30 3-pointers each game. For comparison, Syracuse attempted under 20 on average last year.
Anchored by transfers Nate Kingz, Tyler Betsey and Naithan George, among others, SU should be much-improved from beyond the arc — how much better it is could be paramount toward its success.
8. SU revamped its big-man ideology. What difference will it make?
Whether Syracuse fans enjoyed it, were indifferent or disliked it, they definitely watched Eddie Lampkin Jr. last year. With his polarizing size — listed at 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds — and personality, he was impossible to miss on the court. While he became a double-double machine down the stretch, he was very one-dimensional and lacked versatility.
With Lampkin out of eligibility, the Orange replaced him with two athletic, but undersized big men in William Kyle III and Akir Souare — whose prototypes are the opposite of Lampkin’s. As SU tries to play a more pro-style offense with movement, frequent screening and more 3-point shooting, Kyle and Sourae’s energy and athleticism will be crucial to that success. It’ll be interesting to see how they match up defensively and on the boards versus more traditional, taller centers.
7. How fast will the Orange play?
Playing with pace is something Autry has wanted to do for a while and mentioned as an emphasis for this year’s squad during Media Day. In his first year at the helm, SU’s KenPom Adjusted Temp — an estimate of possessions per 40 minutes a team would have against a team that plays at an average Division I tempo — ranked 39th nationally. However, that dipped to 124th last year.
With a team built to play with pace, it’ll be intriguing to see how fast the Orange want to go. The faster a team plays, the more possessions they have per game. That typically leads to more shot attempts and scoring opportunities, so if a team can create a possession advantage over its opponent, they’re more likely to win.
However, there are drawbacks to playing fast — it can lead to increased turnovers and bad shots early in the shot clock — so Autry and his staff have to balance playing fast with good basketball rather than just playing fast for the sake of it.
6. Can Naithan George become All-ACC caliber?
Once the calendar flipped to February, George became one of the best players in the ACC. The point guard stuffed the statsheet, averaging 14.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists over Georgia Tech’s final 13 games before entering the portal.
The Orange desperately lacked strong point guard play last year, as Hofstra transfer Jaquan Carlos averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists. A pure point guard capable of being J.J. Starling’s 1B in terms of scoring was exactly what Syracuse needed. This year, it has that and more in George. If he ascends into an All-ACC caliber player, SU’s likelihood of returning to March Madness increases exponentially.
5. How will Kiyan Anthony’s freshman year look?
The biggest name on the Orange’s roster is Kiyan Anthony, the son of SU legend and NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony. The No. 32 recruit in his class, per 247Sports, Kiyan should be a contributor for SU from Day 1.
As seen by his 10-point performance in Syracuse’s exhibition, he can score the ball just like his father. While he’ll likely come off the bench throughout the season, Anthony’s microwave-like scoring ability can change a game instantly. And no matter what he does, everyone around the country will be watching.
4. Will J.J. Starling enrich himself among SU’s best senior guards?
The hometown kid has one last chance to make his mark at SU. A Syracuse native, Starling grew up attending Syracuse basketball camps and has known Autry since he was 7 years old. After spending his freshman season at Notre Dame, the guard returned home in the portal and has averaged 15.3 points across his two seasons with the Orange.
Now as Syracuse’s likely No. 1 scoring option, Starling has a chance to put himself in conversations with some of the best guards in program history if he can take his game another step forward and spearhead a return to the NCAA Tournament. It’s a tall task. But if he can do it, he’ll cement himself as a hometown hero.
3. Can Donnie Freeman be Syracuse’s first first-round pick since 2017?
Syracuse’s last first-round NBA draft pick was Tyler Lydon in 2017. Meanwhile, it’s been five years since Elijah Hughes became SU’s last player drafted. If anyone on this year’s roster can lead the charge to snap that drought, in all likelihood, it’ll be Donnie Freeman.
Among the program’s best recruits ever, Freeman flashed brilliance — averaging 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds — as a freshman before an injury forced him to miss the rest of the season after 14 games. Standing 6-foot-9 with the ability to put the ball on the deck, shoot from beyond the arc (33.3% last year) and play small forward through center, Freeman has all the intangibles NBA scouts could want.
If he emerges as one of the best breakout stars in college basketball this season, it would be a question of whether or not he hears his name called in the first or second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. And if that’s the case, it means Syracuse’s best path toward returning to the “Orange Standard” came to fruition.
2. Is this March Madness or bust for Adrian Autry?
Last March, SU Director of Athletics John Wildhack said on Cuse Sports Talk that the program’s goal is to play meaningful games in March. That hasn’t been the case since the Orange danced to the Sweet 16 in 2021. During Syracuse’s Media Day, Autry added Wildhack’s words haven’t changed his coaching approach, noting he wants the same thing.
But if SU misses March Madness for the fifth straight year, will that cost Autry his job? If the team plays on par to how it did last year, absolutely. If the Orange hover around .500 and aren’t anywhere near the field, most likely. If they fall just short but play “competitive” games in March? That’s where it could get tricky.
One thing is guaranteed, though — if Autry leads Syracuse back to March, there’s an almost 100% chance he keeps his job.
1. Can Syracuse return to the NCAA Tournament?
Everything this year drives toward the overarching question of whether the Orange return to the NCAA Tournament. Like Autry said, it’s his goal each year and should also be an expectation for the program annually.
When the head coach described the “Orange Standard” during Media Day, he mentioned that every person familiar with Syracuse basketball knows it’s one of the best programs in college basketball history. That’s been far from the truth recently. And for every year — if it continues to spiral — SU doesn’t make March, the question of whether it can break the drought will be the most polarizing thing that surrounds the program.
