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Eleven games into its third season under Adrian Autry, Syracuse still has plenty of question marks. The Orange have failed to find an offensive identity without leading scorer Donnie Freeman, relying on their defense to carry them through their wins.

Following its latest victory, just a 14-point win over a Mercyhurst squad that is one of the worst Division I squads in the country, Autry had an extremely defensive tone. The head coach was adamant about his team’s championship desires, adding that his offense is not struggling. It was an odd time to boast, considering the Orange didn’t look the part against a middling opponent.

SU has a few more tune ups ahead of conference play, which will likely decide Autry’s job status going forward. The time is now for the Orange to get things right, with Northeastern up next. The Huskies are currently under the .500 mark, and recently fell to Wake Forest by 13.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (7-4, 0-0 Atlantic Coast) will fare against Northeastern (4-5, 0-0 Coastal Athletic):

Aiden Stepansky (8-3)
Just get to ACC play
Syracuse 77, Northeastern 60

First, I’d like to give myself a pat on the back. My score prediction for SU’s win over Mercyhurst was just one digit off from the final score, and perfectly forecasted how the Orange would scrape their way to a win. Syracuse is not playing its best ball right now. In fact, it might be playing its worst of the campaign. But the Orange just need to survive this final nonconference stretch with wins. Then, if they’re up for the challenge, they can take care of business in the ACC.

Against Northeastern, SU will likely put up another sluggish performance that ends well in its favor, based largely on skill and size advantages. The Huskies’ best win this season is over Duquesne, who is ranked No. 143 in the country, per KenPom. Syracuse continues to dip in the website’s rankings, falling to a season-worst No. 80 slot after a season-high ranking of 48th just a few weeks ago.

The Huskies struggle to corral offensive rebounds and have a turnover rate of 19.1% — ranking 271st in the country. SU should come out in its heavy press to force early turnovers and bad shot selection, which will then make this game a breeze.

One thing I’ll be keeping an eye on, of course, is the free throw shooting. The Orange showed tangible improvement against Mercyhurst with a 15-for-20 night, and Naithan George was a perfect 5-for-5. If George can get to the charity stripe more, and the rest of the squad shows signs of competence, maybe the improvements are real after all.

Cooper Andrews (8-3)
The cliches are getting old
Syracuse 67, Northeastern 58

One of the first signs a coach might not have all the answers is if they use a catchphrase or buzzword as a crutch. Dino Babers used to put out fires after losses by saying Syracuse football’s “Ohana” — meaning family in Hawaiian — will stick together through thick and thin. Former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, who went 14-32 in three seasons, had the “H.I.T.S.” principle. Even SU’s new football head coach, Fran Brown, stuck with his “D.A.R.T.” mantra through its 3-9 season.

Autry’s is “level five energy,” or “level five fight.” What does that mean? I have no idea. I’m not entirely sure if Syracuse’s players know, either. It’s apparent that Autry believes the Orange don’t need scheme to win; undeniable intensity will allow SU’s “ingredients” to mix properly, Autry says.

The cliches, frankly, are a bit old, considering the Orange have rarely displayed this all-so-important “level five energy” thus far. It’s time for SU to actually prove it can sustain an uber-intense energy level before ACC play — but it won’t happen against Northeastern. How can you trust Syracuse to deliver a blowout after the way it performed in the second half versus Mercyhurst, one of the nation’s lowest-rated programs, on Wednesday? I sure don’t.

SU will continue ironing out the kinks before its conference slate begins, lacking wire-to-wire consistency on offense but relying on its defense to tally a victory. I think J.J. Starling will put up another solid game after his 15-point outing versus Mercyhurst. Besides that, Syracuse won’t do enough to blow out a team it should demolish.

Justin Girshon (8-3)
Move the chains
Syracuse 78, Northeastern 66

Syracuse hasn’t played particularly well over the last month. A new season-low No. 80 KenPom ranking shows that. At this point, the Orange just need to fight — one of Autry’s favorite buzz words — through their remaining nonconference slate.

It’s kind of weird to say this, because it doesn’t really make too much sense, but so far, SU is showing that it’ll just play to the level of its competition. Syracuse beat Tennessee and took Houston and Kansas down to the wire. Miraculously, SU’s also lost to Hofstra and never pulled away against Mercyhurst, Saint Joseph’s or Monmouth.

Hosting the Huskies seems like another game where the Orange will play down to their opponent’s level instead of blowing them out. At this point, they just have to move the chains by winning. Forget the metrics. Right now, Syracuse just needs to focus on not adding another back-breaking loss.

It might not be pretty, but Autry and Co. will get it done against Northeastern. Life without Freeman has been tough, but SU could still be in a salvageable position if it enters ACC play without another bad defeat.

Published on December 19, 2025 at 4:08 pm