Syracuse lacks Autry’s coveted ‘level 5 energy’ in deflating Kansas loss
After Syracuse's deflating 71-60 loss to Kansas, Adrian Autry said he didn’t feel SU played with enough energy. Courtesy of Joseph Alleyne
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LAS VEGAS — The phrase “level five energy” is Adrian Autry’s battle-cry for his Syracuse squad. He says if the Orange don’t play with “level five energy,” they’ll struggle. To Autry, the term means that all five guys are playing synchronized and giving their maximum effort on both ends of the floor. “Level five energy” is simply coach-speak for, “Play harder.”
Well, SU had no excuse not to exhibit Autry’s coveted “level five energy” Tuesday against Kansas. A win would’ve avenged its previous heartbreaker versus Houston and provided a major, necessary boost to its NCAA Tournament resume with a Quad 1 victory.
Yet Autry didn’t feel his team met his standard. The Orange were outrebounded, outshot, outcoached and outplayed. They were down big early and let a narrow deficit slip late. SU’s third-year head coach thinks that, across the board, the energy was closer to level one than level five.
“It really all falls back to our concentration and our energy,” Autry said postgame. “We don’t want to focus on makes and misses. We’re more focused on our effort. Everything that we do in this program is based on effort.”
Many coaches regardless of sport have a signature and, at times, cheesy motto. Autry’s is “level five energy,” and Syracuse (4-2, Atlantic Coast) didn’t have it in its 71-60 loss to Kansas (5-2, Big 12) Tuesday at the Players Era Festival. A mere day after putting on one of their best showings of the Autry era in an overtime defeat to No. 3 Houston, the Orange came out flat out of the gate against the Jayhawks and suffered their second consecutive loss.
It was another prime opportunity for Syracuse to earn a consequential Quad 1 win. On paper, it didn’t seem unlikely. Especially considering the injuries; SU was without its top scorer in Donnie Freeman and Kansas was missing its best player, star freshman guard Darryn Peterson.
But in the biggest moments versus a quality opponent, the Orange lacked a consistent pulse — a clear concern for a team with lofty March Madness aspirations.
Autry is now 3-19 coaching in Quad 1 games since taking over SU’s program in 2023-24.
“We know what we can do,” Autry said. “We’re not there yet.”
As much as Autry harps on Syracuse’s energy level, that doesn’t fully explain its 32% shooting clip (20-for-63) against Kansas, losing the rebound battle 49-29, missing 10 free throws and its brutal late-game stretch where it allowed the Jayhawks to embark on a win-clinching 11-0 run.
He said in his postgame press conference he’s pushing his players to the max and they’re doing the best they can. So, which is it? Are they trying or not?
Autry sounded like a man out of answers. Syracuse’s performance was so drastically different from Monday’s that it must have been due to something separate from the X’s and O’s — at least, that’s what Autry appears to believe.
“These guys are continuing to give me everything they have. And I got to continue to coach them a little bit better, coach them a little bit harder and challenge them a little bit harder,” Autry said. “And I know they’ll respond because that’s what we’re capable of.”
In spite of a litany of problems, the Orange pulled within two points of the Jayhawks with 6:01 remaining. Back-to-back 3-point makes from J.J. Starling and Tyler Betsey had Syracuse within striking distance of a comeback after trailing 34-25 at halftime. Then, SU’s offensive rhythm stalled and its defense repeatedly gave up buckets inside, starting with a second-chance lay-in from Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, who finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
At the 2:43 mark, Syracuse was down 63-50. The Orange’s horrific 3-point shooting (7-for-30, 23%), ineffectiveness on the glass and lack of fast break points (four) finally caught up to them.
Starling thought SU went away from its strengths and stopped moving the ball with proficiency during those final minutes where a potential upset slipped away. Postgame, he breathed a sigh of frustration before recounting the Orange’s performance in crunch time.
“We just got away from doing what we were doing at that point in time to get us back in the game,” Starling said. “We started being more focused on the wrong things, and that allowed (Kansas) to pull away.”
Syracuse point guard Naithan George had an explanation for how the Orange were baited into a playstyle that doesn’t suit the fast-paced, high-octane brand of basketball Autry desires.
George said Kansas was switching off every ball screen and, since the Jayhawks are a taller roster, the Orange felt forced to take advantage of size mismatches. George said SU reverted into settling for an abundance of low-percentage 3s and simply forcing shots that didn’t need to be forced.
Kansas’ two-time NCAA champion head coach, Bill Self, confirmed that was indeed his game plan to fend off Syracuse.
“I actually thought we guarded them well,” Self said. “I thought our ball-screen defense was good in the first half, and then we switched up in the second half and switched on everything. They didn’t shoot it well, which we were fortunate (for).”
It was a never-ending sequence of static half-court sets. No wonder Autry believes Syracuse lacked energy. While additional creativity in said half-court sets is a potential remedy for the Orange, the Jayhawks proved SU can be taken out of rhythm fast by making its players overthink rather than play naturally.
Tuesday was Syracuse’s least-smooth performance under Autry. It’s clear why he wants to play fast so badly. Now, the world has seen what the Orange look like when they’re slowed to a halt.
Though SU is only six games into its 2025-26 campaign, time is running out for it to display consistent “level five energy.” Autry’s group needs Quad 1 victories to make the NCAA Tournament. There’s no way around it. But it’s already 0-2 on that front this season and possibly haven’t played well enough in the Players Era Festival to earn a third Quad 1 game this week.
As chances to secure big-time Quad 1 wins become few and far between, time will tell if the Orange can come up with more concrete solutions than simply giving more effort.
Because, as Starling said postgame, it’s not like Syracuse is trying to lose.
“We know what we need to work on,” Starling said. “Those things are going to come naturally.”
