Syracuse Men’s Basketball had a surprisingly refreshing first game of the season. After last year’s near-upset loss to Le Moyne to begin the season, SU cruised against Binghamton to open up the 2025-26 season.
So barring any major changes, it’s safe to say this year’s team is better than last year’s. And with that grand statement, it’s time for updated predictions of how SU will fare in non-conference play this year.
Delaware State – A lot of the headlines going into the Binghamton clash were about how the Bobcats are ranked super low in the KenPom rankings. Delaware State is even lower. SU should do just fine against the #353 team in the county. (2-0)
Drexel – This is a super cool event, with SU playing at the XFinity Mobile Arena (the home of the Philadelphia 76ers). With some looming NBA talent, SU should cruise to a solid win in the city of brotherly love. (3-0)
Monmouth – Believe it or not, this will be the hardest opponent yet for SU. Monmouth will be coming off a tough matchup at Seton Hall, but the Hawks are only picked to finish #6 in the CAA. Chalk up another win. (4-0)
Houston – This is where things take a tiny dip. Houston has the top defense in the nation and is ranked #2 by the AP. As SU begins its Las Vegas NIL tournament, the Orange will take their first loss. (4-1)
Kansas – Back-to-back top 25 opponents? This tournament will perhaps be the biggest test all season for SU. The Orange should battle against #19 Jayhawks, but SU in all likelihood will drop back-to-back. (4-2)
TBA – If SU actually does lose the first two games, this should be an easier opponent to close out Syracuse’s time in Las Vegas. So we’ll tentatively say it’s a win. (5-2)
Tennessee – Syracuse has another ranked opponent in #18 Tennessee. The Volunteers have a really good defense, but their offense isn’t in the top 25. With home-court advantage, SU may just have a chance to get its marquee win. (6-2)
Saint Joseph’s – Coming off a huge victory, does SU stumble against the Atlantic 10 foe? Probably not. SU should win here and begin to creep towards being a Top 25 team itself (especially if the Las Vegas games are close). (7-2)
Hofstra – Hofstra is in a very similar boat as Saint Joseph’s. Not a bad Division One team, not a March Madness team, somewhere right in the middle. These are the games SU needs to win. (8-2)
Mercyhurst – The Lakers are in a similar boat as Binghamton and Delaware State – they are not very good. If SU is going to lose a surprise non-conference game, it won’t be this one. (9-2)
Northeastern – A December 20 clash, there shouldn’t be many fans at this game. But it doesn’t matter. Syracuse should have no trouble against a team that already is 0-1 (with a loss to Boston University). (10-2)
Stonehill College – Another team ranked under 300 in the KenPom rankings…this will be one of the easier wins on the season for SU. (11-2)
If Syracuse actually gets to 11 wins, this will give the Orange a very clear shot to finally get back to March Madness.
