Syracuse fans learned a lot about the standing of head coach Adrian Autry’s squad over the last two nights at the Legends Classic in Brooklyn. SU came back but ultimately fell to Texas on Thursday, 70-66, and then lost to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech last night by a score of 79-74.
Let’s start with the positives.
SU’s defense looked much improved, especially in the second half of the Texas game, and it stood out at certain points against Texas Tech, except for issues with guarding the three-point line. The Orange allowed 41 points in the opening frame against the Longhorns, but held Texas to just 29 points in the second half, which allowed the offense to open up despite the loss.
In the Texas Tech game, SU had a strong first half defensively, giving up just 31 points, but regressed in the second half, allowing 48 points. The Red Raiders’ shooting from beyond the arc at 33% was the difference-maker in that game.
Overall, the defense was a step up. However, two areas remain problematic for the Syracuse offense.
The biggest issue is SU’ shooting from distance. It’s atrocious. SU shot just 24% from long range versus Texas and 29% against Texas Tech. Syracuse ranks in the bottom 15 in the entire NCAA in three-point shooting and at the bottom of the ACC.
This must be the biggest area of concern going forward and should be the primary focus for SU. It’s not the entire squad’s fault, but the Orange should drive down the lane and try to draw contact. Forward Chris Bell is doing reasonably well; he shot 5-14 in the two games combined, or 36%.
Additionally, free throw shooting was a concern in the first game, where SU went 9-18 (50%), but the Orange improved significantly in game two with a 24-28 mark (86%).
Overall, three-point and free throw shooting should be the focus as they prepare for Wednesday’s match against Cornell.
