Stepansky: Adrian Autry, Syracuse couldn’t afford loss to ACC’s worst team
Syracuse’s success in Adrian Autry’s third season will depend on reaching March Madness. SU's loss to BC added fuel to the flaming fire. Leonardo Eriman | Senior Staff Photographer
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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — If you’ve already been following Syracuse’s post-Jim Boeheim era, you know the story. Boeheim’s historic 47-year career, capped by the 2003 NCAA title, promoted a small school from central New York to a national powerhouse.
Since his retirement in 2023, his former player and eventual associate head coach Adrian Autry took on the task of keeping the program prominent — better known as “The Orange Standard.” It’s a near impossible job to succeed a Hall of Famer. But in his third season, Autry’s under immense pressure to break SU’s longest drought in over five decades.
With an 81-73 overtime loss to Boston College (8-10, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) Saturday, Syracuse’s (12-6, 3-2 Atlantic Coast) hopes at a future March Madness berth took a massive hit. The Eagles entered the contest as the ACC’s bottom feeder, with the worst offense in the conference. It exited by wreaking havoc on the Orange’s plans.
Autry is well aware of what’s at stake for his roster and himself. There’s plenty of opportunity ahead to right the wrongs. But by losing to the Eagles, the pressure has never been higher. They couldn’t afford this one.
“We have to. What’re you going to do? You have to,” Autry said postgame of bouncing back from the monumental loss.
The Orange already lost a game to a Quad 3 opponent. That was Hofstra. While “unacceptable,” there was a caveat. SU, like its five games prior and three games after falling to the Pride, were without star sophomore Donnie Freeman. That was Syracuse’s notable excuse. With Freeman returning for ACC play and performing at an elite level, there was no excuse to fall back on.
Freeman tallied a double-double but turned the ball over a career-high seven times. He described the loss at Conte Forum as a “trap game,” where SU played down to its competition and BC came with a different sense of urgency. Senior Nate Kingz admitted the Orange took Hofstra lightly. He claimed that wasn’t the case with Boston College.
For a team that’s spent months building its identity off of ferocious defense, Syracuse was punked. The Eagles scored 68 points per game through their first 17 games. The Orange held opponents to 66.9 points per game. It was a recipe to fit SU’s first four ACC games, where it allowed an average of 73.5 points. Boston College finished with 81 points as Fred Payne dropped 26 and Donald Hand Jr. splashed a game-tying 3 to force overtime.
Based on the context of the situation, it was reprehensible for the Orange. Autry said the fact is that BC played harder than his team, adding the attention to detail wasn’t present. Yet he somewhat defended his defense’s poor play, saying “it happens” three times. A March Madness-worthy team doesn’t allow the worst team in its conference to break through its winning formula. It doesn’t happen.
While SU’s defense deteriorated, so did its playmakers. Point guard Naithan George and Freeman combined for 14 turnovers as the Orange tallied 18 overall. Autry pointed to the turnover mark as the difference in the game, saying you can’t beat anyone with the number.
“Eighteen turnovers is insane,” Autry stated bluntly.
George was brought in to be the maestro of Syracuse’s offensive symphony. He’s produced at times and kept his assist numbers plentiful (7.4 per game in ACC play), but has four or more turnovers in half of his 18 games. It’s made SU’s offense, at times, look like it has multiple broken instruments.
Postgame, George said he’s obviously not trying to turn the ball over. But when he worries about not turning the ball over, he can overthink it, saying it becomes a “thing” in his head. The point guard notably admitted to a defensive lapse in the final seconds of regulation, saying he should’ve fouled Hand Jr. before the guard lofted a game-tying 3. Respect to George for admitting to a costly mistake. But there were plenty more throughout the game to be remorseful for.
George is just a part of the investment SU poured into this roster entering Autry’s third season. The Orange put together a mixture of lower-level veterans for Autry’s second season, including Hofstra’s Jaquan Carlos and Delaware’s Jyare Davis, to play marquee roles. Entering Year 3, the additions of George, Kingz and William Kyle III, mixed with the retention of J.J. Starling and Freeman, gave Autry real talent to work with. But to Autry, there’s more to it.
“Talent isn’t enough,” Autry said. “Talent isn’t enough because sometimes you just don’t learn when you’re winning.”
Before Saturday’s blunder, the Orange made real progress in jumping into the Big Dance. Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology had Syracuse ranked 84th as a “considered” team. A 3-1 start to conference play had the Orange sixth in the ACC standings and No. 58 on KenPom. By not defeating all four of the conference’s worst teams, SU will be forced to pull off some upsets to have a chance at March.
Autry doesn’t like to get caught up in the NET rankings of Quad 1 wins and so on. He’d rather be caught up in wins and losses, and how his squad is playing and can improve. Yet the rankings do matter in the present. They will matter in March.
As SU Director of Athletics John Wildhack said at the end of Autry’s second season, the Orange must play meaningful games in March. While leaving it open for interpretation, the statement likely means Syracuse returning to March Madness — or at least on the brink of it.
Though disappointed in the loss, Autry pointed out there’s plenty of opportunity remaining. He’s right, with 12 Quad 1 or 2 games remaining — even if he doesn’t want to look at it that way. Autry said he’s confident his team can rebound because it’s already been tested against top teams, even knocking off then-No. 13 Tennessee.
George added that the coaching staff’s ability to care about the players both in and outside of basketball will help recover from the loss. But, in a college sports world full of money and success intertwining, how far can the personal elements of a coaching staff get a team if other pieces are missing?
The Autry tenure shouldn’t be decided by the mere fact of whether the Orange are in or out of the NCAA Tournament. But Syracuse must be close. The slip-ups and excuses are becoming more inexcusable by the day. Falling to the ACC’s worst team was yet another chapter, adding fuel to the already flaming fire.
Aiden Stepansky is a Senior Staff Writer for The Daily Orange, where his column appears occasionally. He can be reached at amstepan@syr.edu or on X @AidenStepansky.
