As July comes to an end and August is about to begin, football is all the rage right now. But, the Syracuse basketball team has been hard at work over the last few weeks getting ready for preseason practices, with hard work ongoing at the Melo Center. So, let’s take a look at what SU has been doing at practice, how it could impact the upcoming season, and what it tells us about new head coach Adrian Autry.
The Orange are going to be very well conditioned:
Autry has made it clear throughout the offseason, in every public quote he has given he has said that Syracuse will be a team that gets up and down the floor and plays with pace. Due to the different players, SU has on its roster this year and its returners, the Orange are using this summer to get their bodies in the best shape and get ready for a grueling 30+ game season.
Adrian Autry is using his connections well:
Jim Boeheim loved having his former players in and around the program, and when it came to celebrating some of the Syracuse greats in the Dome, that was the cream of the crop. But, it is good to get some of those players at practice to help coach and mentor the current generation is very valuable as well. Autry and the all-time leading scorer in the history of the SU program, Lawrence Moten, overlapped for three seasons in the ‘90s under Boeheim, and that relationship still seems to be strong.
J.J. Starling is going to provide a major boost of athleticism and size in the backcourt:
Last season, Syracuse’s backcourt got a boost of athleticism with Judah Mintz replacing Buddy Boeheim in the starting lineup after a few years of a Joe Girard III – Boeheim backcourt, with a splash of Symir Torrence thrown in. Now, with Mintz returning for his second season at SU, pairing him with J.J. Starling, who stands 6’4 and moves like a gazelle, will provide a huge boost for the Orange. This rip-through and burst to the basket is something we’ll see plenty of from Starling and something that should excite SU fans.
Judah Mintz is going to dominate:
Finally, and maybe most importantly, Judah Mintz is going to challenge for First-Team All-ACC this year, and maybe even ACC Player of the Year. With his combination of athleticism, playmaking, shot creation, and leadership, Mintz should be able to lead a talented Orange roster to a place they haven’t been since 2021, the NCAA Tournament, and highlight plays in transition will be a big part of that.
