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Syracuse mimics a game-like scenario at the free-throw line to end each practice. As point guard Naithan George described it, every SU player lines up to knock down two consecutive free throws with the rest of the squad surrounding them.

The Orange are forced to run sprints until everyone has converted two in a row.

“Knock them down and have that confidence,” George said of the drill. To know when the game comes, we will (make them).”

In Syracuse’s (8-4, Atlantic Coast) 91-83 win over Northeastern (4-6, Coastal Athletic) Saturday, SU looked to have turned the corner on its free-throw struggles by starting 10-for-10 from the charity stripe. The Orange went 13-for-14 in the first half, but then went just 21-for-34 in the second half as they neared a collapse to the Huskies.

The 48 attempts were Syracuse’s most in a game all season, beating out its previous high by 15. SU is close to getting over the hump of its free-throw mishaps. However, Saturday’s final 20 minutes were another step in the wrong direction.

“We’ve made a huge jump from probably the last three or four games shooting (free throws), but I still think we can continue to prove,” Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said postgame.

The last time SU started out so well from the charity stripe was in 2024, when it went 12-for-12 against Virginia Tech. The last time the Orange shot more than 34 attempts in the second half goes back all the way to the second round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. There, Syracuse shot 36 free throws against Cal across the final 20 minutes en route to a six-point win and eventual Final Four run.

This is not a Final Four team. At least not yet. Free throw success held the Orange back from their biggest win of the Autry era, as they went 12-for-29 in an overtime loss to then-No. 3 Houston. Other pitiful performances thus far include 14 missed free throws versus Monmouth, 10 against Kansas and most recently 13 while hosting Saint Joseph’s.

The struggles can even be tied back to the mental side of the game. But Autry, when boisterously claiming Syracuse’s offense is not struggling after a win over Mercyhurst, threw the free-throw performances under the bus. The Orange improved versus the Lakers with a 15-of-20 display, and postgame, Autry said SU would be averaging nearly 80 points per game if not for the free-throw mishaps. He made it clear Syracuse is improving at the charity stripe.

The numbers began to support it.

Every player has a different free-throw routine. Some must take multiple dribbles and a deep breath before delivering the 15-footer. Others prefer to take zero thoughts, shooting the ball as quickly as possible. Forward Tyler Betsey, who went 5-for-6 from the free throw line Saturday, credited improvements to a simple reason: The Orange no longer have classes, and possess more time to work on their crafts.

Betsey said he feels SU looks completely different the last two games, and the solution is because the squad shoots free throws after every lift. He added that Autry made it mandatory for everyone to make 150 free throws after a lifting session, and J.J. Starling said he feels this change has seen the best results. For Betsey personally, he used to make 10 in a row to end a workout session. He altered his routine to 50 makes, and he feels the higher volume gives him more confidence.

Center William Kyle III, who made 6-of-12 free-throw attempts against the Huskies, added that when the Orange practice “live sessions” in three-minute stretches, the coaching staff calls fouls and the players promptly get to the line and shoot their pair. For Kyle, he feels it’s as close to game-reps as you can get.

“Whenever we think about putting in work, we shoot free throws now,” Kyle said. “So I see it translating immediately.”

It also helps that their best free-throw shooter is no longer standing on the perimeter watching his teammates shoot. After the Mercyhurst game, George was shellshocked when he was told he had only shot 16 free throws all season through SU’s first 10 games. He has since flipped the script, shooting 19 across the Mercyhurst and Northeastern games while drilling 17.

George credits the improvement to being in “attack mode.” He feels he’s grown more decisive and is putting pressure on the rim. When he reaches the line, he controls his breathing and attempts to be “as clear-minded as possible.” Then he sinks it.

As the Orange began 13-for-14 from the charity stripe, led by George’s 6-for-6 display, they built a 10-point halftime lead. Then in the second half, Syracuse’s defense collapsed, as did its free-throw shooting.

Kiyan Anthony missed a pair and then split his next opportunities. Anthony and George missed a few more, but also converted just enough to keep SU’s cushion. When Kyle’s turn came, he missed four straight free throw attempts as Northeastern cut the deficit to 79-73 with under three minutes to play.

As Kyle puts it, free throws haven’t been his strong suit throughout his career. The 6-foot-9 center has an awkward hitch that adds to his inconsistencies. He shot a combined 10-for-23 in SU’s three-game Las Vegas trip, though despite a 4-for-10 display against Tennessee, he hit multiple clutch ones down the stretch to knock off the then-No. 13 Volunteers.

Kyle said he puts a lot of time in at the charity stripe with assistant coach Dan Engelstad, and maintains his confidence whether he makes or misses it. He doesn’t like to think; instead, he shoots the ball based on the repetition he’s built in practice. Kyle went 3-for-8 in the second half at the free throw line, and in the closing minutes, Autry substituted him in and out of the line with each offensive possession in favor of Anthony.

“I feel like nothing’s really changed,” Kyle said. “I feel like we just kind of started to knock down free throws.”

With the Huskies chomping at the bit, Syracuse promptly closed the game out with its free-throw shooting. George made four straight to stretch its 80-75 lead to 84-77. Betsey added four more with under a minute to play, and Anthony knocked down two more.

There’s a direct correlation between free-throw success and overall success for the Orange. The return of Donnie Freeman could do wonders. He shot 28-for-36 in his healthy four-game stint and 12-for-14 in his last game versus Monmouth.

Syracuse showed glimpses of a changed tune in the first half. The soon return of Freeman will add to the positive spin. But there’s still plenty of work to do.

Published on December 20, 2025 at 9:42 pm
Contact Aiden at: amstepan@syr.edu | @AidenStepansky