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After dropping its Atlantic Coast Conference opener to Clemson on Dec. 31, Syracuse rattled off back-to-back wins on the road against Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. This week, the Orange host Florida State on Tuesday before traveling to Chestnut Hill to face Boston College on Saturday.

Both matchups are Quad 3 opportunities for Syracuse, meaning a loss in either would hurt its March Madness resume. After those games, 12 of the Orange’s final 13 regular-season contests are classified as Quad 1 or Quad 2, giving Adrian Autry’s squad ample chances to strengthen its NCAA Tournament profile with a strong showing.

Here are some notes from Monday’s ACC Men’s Basketball Coaches Zoom Call heading into the week:

Donnie Freeman stock report

The last time Syracuse produced a first-round NBA Draft pick was Tyler Lydon in 2017. Meanwhile, the last SU player selected in the NBA Draft was Elijah Hughes in 2020.

Right now, Donnie Freeman is playing himself not only into consideration to be selected, but also to possibly be the program’s first first-round selection in nearly a decade.

Donnie Freeman First 3 Games After Injury

22.3 Points
7.6 Rebounds
1.3 Blocks
.533 FG%
.466 3P%

Donnie is making his case for ALL ACC First Team. It’s not often we get to watch a lottery pick🍊
pic.twitter.com/DwNrXxj4Tq

— Cardiac Cuse (@cardiac_cuse) January 10, 2026

Paired with his 6-foot-9 frame, Autry highlighted how Freeman’s ability to stretch the floor, put the ball on the floor, attack closeouts and make defensive improvements should make him appeal to NBA teams. Autry added that Freeman’s body has developed but is still in the developmental phase.

Freeman entered his SU career in 2024 as one of the best prospects in program history, but a season-ending injury last year and a nine-game absence this year have limited him to playing just 21-of-49 possible games.

“Now seeing him back and seeing him healthy, I think people start to understand what type of player he is and how important he is for our program, a big piece of what we do,” Autry said.

While Freeman was sidelined, Autry felt his coaching staff did a good job keeping Freeman involved in practice and watching film outside of it. The head coach feels that it helped the forward’s mental development.

Heading into SU’s matchup with FSU, Freeman is averaging 19.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 blocks per game.

New kid in town

After The Daily Orange first reported on Jan. 6 that five-star wide receiver prospect Calvin Russell III would join SU’s basketball program while enrolling at the university early in January, SU Athletics confirmed the news on Sunday.

“We’ve had guys in the past that played two sports, so it’s always exciting to have those guys,” Autry said. “They bring a type of toughness. Him playing football, I really love that mentality, that toughness mentality, and that’s what we try to preach over here as well.

“Hang our hat on toughness and the defensive side of the basketball, so I thought it was a really good fit and match.”

Autry also said Russell was a player he identified early, “before he really excelled in football.” The head coach noted “football is first,” but Russell joining the basketball program “was a plus for us.”

“We’re one. I want to be able to help the football team as well, and I think he can help us as well. So you got a guy that can be impactful in two programs, that’s pretty impactful,” Autry said.

What Red sees from the Seminoles

Florida State enters the JMA Wireless Dome ranked No. 113 by KenPom, No. 116 by EvanMiya and No. 133 in the NET Rankings. The road bout for the Seminoles is a Quad 1 opportunity, while it’s a Quad 3 home game for SU.

Though FSU played Duke closely in a loss on Jan. 3, it was demolished 113-69 by NC State in its last game on Saturday.

Here are some quotes from Autry on what he sees from the Seminoles:

“You talk about pace, you talk about a disruptive defense, they cause a lot of turnovers.”

“Offensively, 3-point shooting, the 3-point shot attempts really stick out, and their offensive rebounding to get those 3-point attempts.”

“Their pace, the pace of play, their aggression, is really what sticks out a lot. They’re aggressive on both sides of the ball.”

“Even when you score, those guys are getting the ball out, getting up the court and spacing you out with 3-point shooting.”

Luke Loucks notes

Florida State began its practice on Sunday by running 44 down backs up and down the court. And the 44 — the most legendary number in SU sports history — wasn’t in honor of the upcoming matchup against the Orange.

It was because the Seminoles lost by 44 points at home to NC State on Saturday.

“To go into a game at home and lose by the most amount of points in the history of Florida State basketball at home is unacceptable, and you got to pay the bank,” Loucks said.

The first-year head coach, who took over the helm after Leonard Hamilton stepped down following 23 years, added that FSU’s entire practice on Sunday was defense-based. He said the case would be the same for the Seminoles’ practice on Monday.

Speaking of defense, Loucks spoke very highly of Syracuse’s unit. He highlighted that the Orange are a hard-hedging team — which means they aggressively guard ball handlers on pick and rolls — while noting they’re one of the best shot-blocking teams in the conference and do a good job turning teams over with their aggressiveness.

Another thing that stood out about SU’s defense to Loucks was its increased use of the 2-3 zone on Saturday against Pittsburgh. Loucks said Florida State, which he mentioned has struggled against zones this year, has the Orange’s increased 2-3 zone usage on its scouting report.

Additionally, while Loucks and his coaching staff implemented the zone defense with the Seminoles in his first season, he explained that they studied a lot of Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone, making them familiar with what Syracuse could try to do on Tuesday.

Offensively, Loucks said SU does a good job keeping it simple, while “the Freeman kid’s having an amazing year.”

Random stat of the week

Nate Kingz leads the Orange with a +161 plus/minus.

Published on January 12, 2026 at 1:33 pm
Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon