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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Uncertainty and disappointment filled the air. Senior captain J.J. Starling sat in the corner with his head down, declining to answer any questions.

Beside Starling was Donnie Freeman; the pair was supposed to be at the forefront of a pivotal season, which instead ended as their second losing season in a row.

Around them, some teammates, like Starling, had just played the final game of their collegiate careers. Others, like Freeman, don’t know what their future holds. And none of them can change what just happened.

It’s why Syracuse must answer the lingering question that has continuously hovered over the program:

Will Adrian Autry remain the head coach?

Following the Orange’s (15-17, 6-12 Atlantic Coast) 86-69 season-ending ACC Tournament loss to SMU (20-12, 8-10 ACC), there should be an answer shortly. The third-year head coach — who has amassed a 49-48 record and failed to make the NCAA Tournament each season — said SU will “have all our meetings tomorrow.”

Heading into a potential make-or-break year, the expectation was for Syracuse to play meaningful games in March. Instead, Syracuse’s most meaningful game in March became the 27th double-digit loss of the Autry era, played in front of a half-empty Spectrum Center on the first day of the ACC Tournament.

“When I took this job, and obviously I went here, and I know the expectations that this job comes with,” Autry said postgame. “I was a player and part of it. And every day that was what I tried to do, honoring that, with my players, with my staff, the way I coached.”

For much of the game, Autry stood near midcourt. Behind the basket that was to his left, there was a man wearing glasses, a blue suit jacket and an orange tie.

His name is Jim Boeheim.

Across his 47 years as head coach, the Orange became one of the most prominent teams in college basketball history. As Autry said in October, SU knew it “always had a chance” under Boeheim and that “you’re gonna compete for championships.”

In other words, that’s the “Orange Standard.”

The standard Syracuse has failed to meet in three seasons under Autry and the final two under Boeheim. The standard that has been invisible amid the program’s longest March Madness drought since 1967-72. The standard Autry says is different now because of college basketball’s changing landscape.

“It’s not an excuse, and it’s just the reality,” Autry said after potentially his last game as Syracuse’s head coach. “Again, I own up to everything. But to be able to operate and to be able to do things, the NIL is a real thing.

“The transfer portal is a real thing. Those are the variables that I was referring to. Those are always going to be challenging,” he continued.

It’s an area the Orange have consistently lagged in. A source familiar with the program’s thinking, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told The Daily Orange that SU spent just under $8 million on its roster this season — estimating it was seventh-to-ninth in the ACC this year.

Three years ago today — on March 10, 2023 — Adrian Autry was formally announced as Syracuse’s next head coach, replacing Jim Boeheim. Now, exactly three years later, Autry likely coached his final game at his alma mater. Courtesy of The Atlantic Coast Conference

Still, at Syracuse, winning is the expectation. Autry hasn’t done that.

Zero NCAA Tournament appearances. A 4-31 record in Quad 1 games. The worst winning percentage among the program’s eight head coaches.

“I don’t shy away from the job that I did,” Autry said. “I’m harder on myself than anybody. I didn’t get the results that we wanted.”

While the hope was that a rebuilt roster and increased investment would help end the Orange’s March Madness drought, they couldn’t find a way to click. Inconsistencies are what stood out most.

“The one thing is it was a group that we put together with the hopes of being able to work through (inconsistencies), work through that development, to try to be able to develop on the job, so to speak,” Autry said.

Inconsistency was how the season ultimately ended. A porous second half against the Mustangs followed a first half where the Orange looked like they belonged. Naithan George, a star transfer portal acquisition, shot 2-of-13 from the floor. Freeman and Starling combined for nine points. A one-point halftime deficit ballooned to 21 midway through the second half despite Nate Kingz scoring 25 points.

All Autry could do was watch from the sidelines as the final minutes of his team’s season played out.

His whole life, Autry worked toward becoming Syracuse’s head coach. Three years ago today, that became a reality when he was formally introduced as the eighth head coach in the program’s history.

Fast forward, SU’s performance has made his tenure a nightmare. And when Autry wakes up in the morning, the future of his dream job will likely be decided.

The air that swirled through the Orange’s locker room postgame isn’t supposed to happen at this point in the season. What happens next will determine whether nights like this remain the program’s new reality — or whether Syracuse can become Syracuse again.

Published on March 10, 2026 at 9:39 pm
Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon