In The Paint
Dear readers,
In his third season at the helm, Syracuse men's basketball head coach Adrian Autry is on the hot seat. The Orange have dropped from the heights they consistently reached during former head coach Jim Boeheim's 47-year tenure. SU is on course to miss the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year — something it hasn't done since between 1967-72.
When the Orange host No. 16 North Carolina Saturday, it'll serve as a reminder of the standard they no longer live up to. A standard set by Jim Lee and Rudy Hackett, who guided SU to its first Final Four in 1975 and will have their numbers retired in the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday. A standard that Autry showed signs of fulfilling when he upset then-No. 7 North Carolina 86-79 on Feb. 13, 2024, in his first season. Since then, it's been a slow slide. The Tar Heels' head coach Hubert Davis is familiar with inheriting high expectations following three-time national champion head coach Roy Williams and has been under his own scrutiny.
The Orange's current outlook is grim. They're nostalgic for halcyon days of success.
The Daily Orange has everything you need to know before Syracuse's ACC clash with UNC.
Thanks for reading,
Nicholas Alumkal | Sports Editor
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LONG TIME COMING
Jim Lee and Rudy Hackett guided Syracuse to its first Final Four in 1975. Now, their jerseys will be retired together in the JMA Wireless Dome Saturday.
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SLOW SLIDE
Since defeating then-No. 7 North Carolina on Feb. 13, 2024, Syracuse men's basketball has largely faltered. Here's what's happened since that upset.
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INHERITED EXPECTATIONS
Syracuse's Adrian Autry and North Carolina's Hubert Davis have both succeeded legendary head coaches. They've struggled to follow legendary predecessors.
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OPPONENT PREVIEW
North Carolina beat Syracuse 87-77 when the squads last met in early February. Our beat writer previews the Tar Heels, who may be without star forward Caleb Wilson for the third consecutive game.
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BEAT WRITER PREDICTION
Syracuse lost to No. 3 Duke 101-64 Monday, its largest Atlantic Coast Conference defeat since joining the league in 2013. Our beat writers are split on whether the Orange will pick up a big ranked win over the No. 16 Tar Heels on Saturday.
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Credits
Sports Editor: Nicholas Alumkal
Editor-in-Chief: Kendall Luther
Managing Editor: Rosina Boehm
Digital Managing Editor: Griffin Uribe Brown
Social Media Editor: Charlotte Price
IT Managers: Sam Benoit, Eliza Raphael
Assistant Sports Editors: Jordan Kimball, Mauricio Palmar, Harris Pemberton
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