Syracuse went 2-0 in exhibition play, where six of its eight projected starters made their Orange debut. After a 76-66 road win against Buffalo, SU made its dome debut on Wednesday against Pace. Despite a rough first half in which ‘Cuse only led by two heading into the locker room, but its second half performance resulted in a 75-57 win. Returners Donnie Freeman and J.J. Starling try to lead Syracuse to its first March Madness appearance since 2021.
While the Orange are undoubtedly more talented than the 24/25 campaign, their amount of additions makes it hard to fully gel on day 1. SU comes into the game as 20.5 point favorites, but a sluggish start could make it a hard figure to cover.
This is a make-or-break year for ‘Cuse head coach Adrian Autry. While a strong offseason in the transfer portal and incoming high school recruiting class have given fans optimism, they are hungry for on-court success following a 14-19 campaign last season where Syracuse was bounced in round 1 of the ACC Tournament.
One pivotal key is figuring out the rotation quickly as the Orange’s Las Vegas trip for the Players Era Tournament approaches. SU has four games against favorable non-conference opponents before facing Houston and Kansas, two of college basketball’s premier teams. With an influx of talent that is virtually all new to the ‘Cuse system, Autry has just a few weeks to configure lineups ahead of the primetime matchups.
As Syracuse opens the dome, fans should keep an eye on the guard dynamic between Starling and Georgia Tech transfer Naithan George. Starling was the Orange’s primary ball handler last season, but the addition of George may make Autry want to use Starling in more of a shooting guard/scorer role this season. George averaged 5.7 assists per game with the Yellow Jackets, and this number should increase with the lob threats of Freeman and UCLA transfer center William Kyle.
All eyes will be on Kiyan Anthony’s dome debut, but expect him and four star freshman forward Sadiq White to begin the game on the bench. They will have an impact in the rotation, but Autry is looking towards proven college players to start immediately; the kids will earn their starting spots with him.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
