Syracuse’s Offense Hits a Wall in Chapel Hill: Ball Movement (or Lack Thereof) Tells the Story
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - For a team that just a week ago looked like it might be turning a corner, Syracuse’s offensive issues came roaring back under the bright lights of the Dean Dome. The Orange fell to No. 14 North Carolina, 87-77, and while the final score suggests a competitive contest, the game told a different story - one defined by stagnation, indecision, and a glaring lack of ball movement.
After the loss, head coach Adrian Autry didn’t sugarcoat it.
“We have a lot of guys that like to play with the ball in their hands,” Autry said. “And we have to do a better job of moving without the ball. You can’t do that in today’s game.”
Autry’s frustration was palpable. Syracuse tied its season-low with just seven assists - a stat that speaks volumes about how the offense operated, or rather, didn’t.
That number becomes even more jarring when you consider that just one game earlier, the Orange dished out 21 assists in a win over Notre Dame. That performance now looks more like an outlier than a trend.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a new issue. Syracuse ranks 294th nationally in assist percentage.
That’s not just a red flag - it’s a full-blown siren. The offense leans heavily on isolation and individual shot creation, and while that can work in spurts, it’s not a sustainable formula against disciplined, high-level defenses like UNC’s.
The personnel tells part of the story. Donnie Freeman, the team’s leading scorer, thrives with the ball in his hands.
So does J.J. Starling, the second-leading scorer.
And Naithan George, the team’s primary distributor, also needs the rock to operate. When three of your key offensive players are at their best with the ball, it becomes a challenge to generate fluid, team-oriented offense.
“We’ve had moments where we’ve done that,” Autry said of better ball movement. “But we haven’t done it consistently. That’s where the frustration comes in.”
Freeman was again a bright spot, pouring in a game-high 23 points on an efficient 8-of-14 shooting night. But only two of those makes were assisted.
That’s a telling stat. Freeman himself described the offense as “stagnant” against UNC and “streaky” overall.
“Sometimes we got some pop, sometimes not,” he said.
When the offense doesn’t have that pop, it has a ripple effect - especially for shooters like Nate Kingz and Tyler Betsey. Kingz, fresh off a career-high 28-point performance that included five threes, was limited to just three attempts from deep.
Two of those came in the final two minutes, when Syracuse was in full-on desperation mode. Betsey, who shoots over 40% from beyond the arc, took just one three all game - and missed it.
“It’s a lot harder, for sure,” Kingz said about getting clean looks when the ball sticks.
And yet, for all the offensive struggles, Syracuse still managed to make it interesting late. Down by 32 with about 10 minutes left, the Orange clawed back to within six with 42 seconds remaining.
That late surge? It came when Autry opened up the floor and let his guards go to work.
“We let our guards make plays,” Autry said. “You can’t really do that the whole game, but at that moment it was the best way to get back in it.”
Five of the team’s seven assists came in the final eight minutes - a stretch where urgency forced quicker decisions and better spacing. But that kind of offense, while exciting in a comeback bid, isn’t something you can rely on for 40 minutes.
Looking ahead, the Orange are running out of time to figure it out. Just eight games remain on the schedule, and the margin for error is razor-thin. Kiyan Anthony, another ball-dominant scorer off the bench, said the team needs to do a better job of getting Freeman touches in the post, letting Starling attack downhill, and creating looks for shooters like Betsey and Kingz.
Anthony also emphasized that it’s not necessarily about the coaching staff calling different plays - it’s on the players to execute.
And he’s right. Because at this point, it’s not about potential or flashes.
It’s about results. The numbers don’t lie: when Syracuse records 15 or more assists, they usually win.
When they don’t, it’s a grind.
Even if they clean up the ball movement and stack a few wins down the stretch, the damage to their NCAA Tournament résumé might already be done. But if there’s any hope left, it starts with sharing the ball - and doing it consistently.