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A Syracuse basketball season hasn’t had stakes this big in years. After winning just 14 games in Adrian Autry’s second year, the head coach is likely playing for his job. The Orange replenished their roster with big catches in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail. SU also retained top scorers J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman to lead the charge.

In the first real glimpse of the program in the 2025-26 season, Syracuse flourished. Despite Starling playing under three minutes due to a lower-body injury, the Orange began the game on a 10-0 run and never looked back.

Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (1-0, Atlantic Coast) 85-47 win over Binghamton (0-1, America East):

Missing J.J.

Usually, as Starling goes, Syracuse goes. The senior led the Orange in scoring last season and earned an All-ACC Preseason Team selection. Yet, just two minutes and 44 seconds into the year, Starling was injured.

He landed awkwardly on a lob pass to William Kyle III, and limped to the sidelines and later into the locker room. Starling’s family went into the locker room to check on him. At around the 12-minute mark, he emerged from the tunnel with sweatpants on and a towel draped over his head.

Starling sat on the end of the bench the rest of the way, not even getting up to join the huddles. Syracuse went up 8-0 to start the game with Starling in, and they outscored Binghamton 77-47 the rest of the way.

A spokesperson for SU Athletics described it as a “lower-body” injury for Starling, and with minutes to go in the first half, said he “probably wouldn’t return.” Starling never returned, preventing the Orange from playing at full strength on Monday or possibly in the future.

Bringing the heat

Tenacity, tempo and all-out aggressiveness are the only ways to characterize Syracuse’s start. The Orange came out with noticeable fire, forcing five turnovers in the first five minutes and not allowing a score until the 14:39 mark.

However, Starling’s injury affected SU’s momentum and speed. While the Orange more than doubled Binghamton’s shot total, they weren’t efficient, starting 0-for-10 from 3. Though SU’s defense, mixed with the Bearcats’ clear deficiencies, made for a pestering effort.

Binghamton turned the ball over 15 times in the first half, with Naithan George forcing four of them. Syracuse did its most damage with its pressure caving in on the post. As the guards dropped down into the paint to squeeze Binghamton’s big men in, they swiped the ball loose. Forward Zyier Beverly had five turnovers and center Demetrius Lilley had six Monday.

The most turnovers the Orange forced in a first half last season were 11 versus Le Moyne. Syracuse easily eclipsed that tally. Across the final 20 minutes, Binghamton played more controlled and turned the ball over only seven times. With the score well out of reach, SU’s first-half impact set the tone. It’s exactly what Autry desired after a poor defensive effort in the exhibition against Pace.

Kiyan’s debut

Kiyan Anthony isn’t his father. Carmelo Anthony took Syracuse by storm in the 2002-03 season and led the Orange to a national title as a freshman. Kiyan began his first game off the bench.

But with Starling’s injury, Kiyan earned plenty of playing time and made the most of it. He finished with 15 points on an efficient 6-of-10 shooting. He found crafty ways to get off shots, using step-backs and step throughs to evade defenders.

Carmelo wasn’t in attendance Monday, but Kiyan’s mother, La La, was. As she sported an Orange Syracuse jersey courtside, Kiyan looked calm, cool and collected at all times. The crowd, as expected, cheered loudly after each of Kiyan’s buckets. They also erupted each time he substituted in and out.

Based on Starling’s future status, Kiyan could play a much bigger role than expected. Monday was a great indication of what’s to come.

The 5

Autry wants his center to be the quarterback of the operation. While the Orange brought in Kyle, a 6-foot-9 center from UCLA, his lack of size forces Freeman into an even bigger role as the part-time center. Freeman filled the role multiple times in SU’s exhibitions, but Monday was his first true test.

Freeman often worked out of the post with Kyle on the court, sinking a sweet fadeaway jumper and tallying four early points. After the first media timeout, Kyle substituted out and Freeman slotted to center. He turned the ball over, and Freeman was substituted for Akir Souare. It was a short-lived experiment early.

Souare provided defense with a big-time block, but it was Kyle’s show most of the day. The Orange looked to Kyle through the air with multiple lob passes. Kyle finished the first half with six points, but it was Freeman and the guards who filled in the rebounding.

To kick off the second half, George lobbed a pass up to Kyle for some thunder. Kyle did just that a few more times, bringing a spark in the paint. The center quickly established his playing style in his SU debut and ended with 16 points.

First-game mishaps

The absence of Starling creates some room for excuses. Though, there were some first-game jitters, which caused some ugly play for the Orange.

Syracuse added 3-point snipers Nate Kingz and Tyler Betsey out of the transfer portal, but neither of them could help SU’s horrid shooting effort. The Orange finished the game 4-for-21 from beyond the arc.

When Syracuse was missing, it had some trouble on the glass. Lilley tallied 13 rebounds, nine more than any other Bearcat and seven more than Freeman, SU’s leading rebounder.

Kingz didn’t score until over 30 minutes in, when he sank a two-pointer from the right wing. He finished the night 2-for-6. Betsey, on the other hand, went just 1-for-7 from 3 and 3-for-10 from the field. Star freshman Sadiq White showed out in the Pace exhibition but didn’t do much on Monday until late. He finished with four points and four rebounds.

The lackluster production didn’t matter much, however, as the Orange cruised to victory and took control from start to finish.

Published on November 3, 2025 at 9:19 pm
Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky