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After failing to secure a Quad 1 win in three tries last week in Las Vegas, Syracuse has one more opportunity to find a nonconference resume booster.

The Orange’s atrocities in the Players Era Festival have set up a must-win game against No. 13 Tennessee Tuesday in the JMA Wireless Dome. Adrian Autry’s squad is coming off losses to then-No. 3 Houston, Kansas and then-No. 15 Iowa State, all games where Syracuse was without star forward Donnie Freeman due to a lower-body injury. Despite taking the Cougars to overtime, the Orange were outclassed by the Jayhawks and Cyclones.

But SU can redeem itself against the Volunteers, who won 2-of-3 games in the Players Era and currently rank as KenPom’s No. 13 team in the nation.

Here’s how our beat writers think Syracuse (4-3, Atlantic Coast) will fare against No. 13 Tennessee (7-1, Southeastern):

Aiden Stepansky (6-1)
Uh oh
Syracuse 65, Tennessee 71

We’re getting into some scary territory here, folks. With Syracuse’s three losses in Vegas, it’s not ridiculous to say this ACC/SEC clash is a must-win for its March Madness hopes. Yes, it’s only early December. But Quad 1 wins aren’t easy to come by, and the Orange have already missed on key opportunities.

Tennessee’s strength matches up perfectly with one of SU’s glaring weaknesses. The Volunteers excel at collecting offensive rebounds, ranking second in the country, per KenPom. This will give star guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie plenty of chances to light the lamp and put the Orange behind.

Freeman’s absence obviously derails Syracuse’s plans, but I believe we’ll see more of what we saw from the Orange versus Houston than against Iowa State. Yet, their shooting woes are becoming part of their identity rather than just a negative trend, and a few days off won’t create a drastic change.

After Tuesday, Syracuse closes out the calendar year facing a long list of Quad 3 and Quad 4 opportunities that won’t do it many favors. This is truly SU’s last chance at a marquee victory for the next few weeks. Despite the high stakes, the Orange just don’t have enough right now to knock off the Volunteers. Autry’s seat will only get warmer.

Cooper Andrews (6-1)
Lights are too bright
Syracuse 68, Tennessee 77

At the end of this season, I guarantee everyone will look back at Syracuse’s near-victory over Houston as the primary reason why the Orange missed another NCAA Tournament.

That was SU’s best chance at a true program-changing win under Autry. And now, without that elusive Quad 1 win in its hands, there is far too much pressure on Syracuse to deliver going forward.

It certainly won’t find one against Tennessee, which presents a litany of matchup nightmares — such as Gillespie versus SU’s backcourt and Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes versus Autry. I don’t see how a Syracuse squad that conceded 95 points to Iowa State and looked unprepared from start to finish can regroup in time to fend off Gillespie and outcoach Barnes’ staff.

All the momentum SU generated in its almost-win over Houston has evaporated. Even if Freeman returned, he wouldn’t be able to help the Orange’s inability to guard anybody or increase shooting percentages from J.J. Starling and Kiyan Anthony, who are supposed to be lethal scorers for this team. There was something palpable in how flat Syracuse performed on the big stage last week in Vegas, and it appears the lights are too bright for this group to earn a quality win before ACC play.

Justin Girshon (5-2)
Call an ambulance, but not for Syracuse
Syracuse 75, Tennessee 74

There was a funny video that went viral on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, where an older gentleman is greeted at his car by a guy with a knife. The older gentleman pretends he’s sick and says to “call an ambulance” before pulling a gun out of his jacket and saying, “but not for me.” Disclaimer: The video was a skit, and no ambulance was needed.

I bring this all up to say I think the video is pretty emblematic of where Syracuse’s season is right now. After going winless in Vegas, another nonconference Quad 1 loss would require an ambulance — in this case, being pretty much flawless the rest of the season — to be called for SU’s season to stay alive.

But the Orange won’t need an ambulance after they beat Tennessee. Stay with me now.

Starling, Anthony, Naithan George and Nate Kingz all played pretty much as close to their collective floors as they can get in Sin City. And Syracuse still looked competent against Houston, Kansas and Iowa State for 20 minutes before the wheels fell off.

So, even though Freeman is again sidelined, what would happen if there was a night where at least three of those guys — and maybe two of William Kyle III, Tyler Betsey and Sadiq White — all played well? I’d argue pretty good things.

And with a home crowd to support them? That gives the Orange an even better chance. SU might be fighting for its March Madness life Tuesday night. But it won’t need an ambulance after picking up a much-needed Quad 1 win.

Published on December 1, 2025 at 9:39 pm