Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

LAS VEGAS — Syracuse doesn’t have much time to dwell on its heartbreaking overtime loss to No. 3 Houston, as it faces Kansas Tuesday afternoon. The Orange will again be without leading scorer Donnie Freeman, who was ruled out for the Players Era Festival with a lower-body injury on Monday.

Like SU, the Jayhawks will be without their top scorer. Freshman Darryn Peterson, a projected top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, has missed Kansas’ last four games and was ruled out for Players Era by head coach Bill Self on Friday.

The Jayhawks began the year ranked No. 19 in the AP Poll but are now unranked after suffering losses to then-No. 25 North Carolina and then-No. 5 Duke. Nonetheless, following a win over Notre Dame on Monday, Kansas is ranked No. 21 by EvanMiya and No. 22 by KenPom.

Here’s how our beat writers think the Orange (4-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare versus the Jayhawks (4-2, 0-0 Big 12) in Las Vegas:

Aiden Stepansky (5-0)
A non-moral victory
Syracuse 71, Kansas 67

Adrian Autry was adamant postgame that despite pushing No. 3 Houston to its limits, he wasn’t going to admit to a moral victory. While Syracuse supporters may be disappointed with its free-throw embarrassment, SU clearly proved Monday it can play with the best of the best. Autry’s words postgame doubled down on the notion.

Turning around to play another game less than 24 hours after a physical battle with the Cougars will, without a doubt, be challenging. But the identity the Orange have established should be able to sustain a high floor to remain competitive. A spread-out scoring effort further takes the burden off each other when some SU players get tired. Against the Jayhawks, Syracuse will prevail.

Kansas is also battle-tested, having already faced three KenPom top 100 teams. While the Jayhawks took care of business against Notre Dame Monday, they forced the Fighting Irish into just five turnovers. Kansas ranks 292nd in the country in steal percentage at 8.1%, per KenPom.

Part of Syracuse’s troubles against Houston’s ferocious defense was Naithan George’s season-high six turnovers. I’d be shocked to see George close to that number Tuesday. This one will again come down to the wire. But with slightly better free-throw shooting and a continued defensive effort, SU will capture a monumental victory. Not a moral one.

Cooper Andrews (5-0)
You better check your-Self
Syracuse 78, Kansas 77

It’s time for Syracuse basketball to reintroduce itself to the world. If not now, then when?

Against No. 3 Houston, the Orange played the best they possibly could without Freeman. Clutch shot-making and timely defense throughout the contest allowed SU to take Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars to the brink. Syracuse even took Houston to overtime. If you predicted that, you are a bold-faced liar.

The crazy thing? The Orange should have relatively stomped the Cougars. They missed 17 free throws. Let me repeat: 17 free throws. There hasn’t been a game since SU joined the ACC, where it missed as many times from the charity stripe as it did Monday in Las Vegas. There’s an alternative universe where Syracuse wins that game by 10 because it did the bare minimum at the free-throw line.

Seeing George and William Kyle III’s facial expressions in the postgame press conference, you could tell they knew they let a huge opportunity slip. A win over the No. 3 team in the country would have instantly erased all doubt about the program Autry is building. And I think the Orange will do everything they can to leave Vegas with a Quad 1 win.

Stopping Self’s squad, particularly forward Flory Bidunga, will be tough. But SU proved it can compete at a high level without Freeman on the floor. Now, it’ll prove it can win games against upper-echelon opponents.

Justin Girshon (5-0)
They’re back
Syracuse 72, Kansas 70

Syracuse is almost back. The Orange were ever-so close to taking down the Cougars on Monday and showing the college basketball world they’re back to being the program they’re supposed to be.

While there were many encouraging signs, especially given Freeman’s absence, the most deflating aspect was that SU still lost what felt like a golden opportunity. Luckily for Syracuse, it can avenge that defeat very quickly if it defeats Kansas.

I foresee that happening, with Autry and Co. getting their long-awaited Quad 1 win and, more importantly, beginning to build their March Madness resume. The Jayhawks, even without Peterson, are a good team helmed by a Hall of Fame coach. And SU, even without its best player, showed it can hang with the best.

It’s why, as KenPom suggests, the “Thrill Score” for this contest is the fifth-highest for Tuesday’s slate. This game will come down to the wire, but instead of coming out of it heartbreakingly, SU will be satisfied going into Wednesday with a chance to come out of Vegas with an impressive 2-1 record.

Published on November 25, 2025 at 9:40 am