Carmelo Anthony doesn’t speak out often, but when he does-especially about Syracuse basketball-Orange Nation listens. And when Melo dropped a blunt “SMFH” in the comments of Syracuse’s Instagram post during Monday night’s loss at No. 14 North Carolina, it wasn’t just a moment of frustration-it was a gut punch from one of the program’s most iconic voices.
This isn’t just any alum sounding off. This is the guy who led Syracuse to its only national title back in 2003.
This is a future Hall of Famer. And now, he’s watching his son, Kiyan Anthony, suit up for the same program-only this time, the Orange are struggling to stay relevant, let alone elite.
Monday’s game was a microcosm of the season: Syracuse fell behind by 32 points in the second half before clawing back to make it a respectable 87-77 final. But moral victories don’t count in the standings.
That loss marked the Orange’s fifth in their last six games. At 13-10 overall and 4-6 in ACC play, Syracuse is staring down another March without a tournament invite-unless they pull off a miracle run in the ACC Tournament.
And that’s the problem. This isn’t supposed to be a program hoping for miracles.
This is Syracuse. This is the house that Boeheim built, a program that once rattled off seasons like 30-5, 34-3, and 28-6 with regularity.
From 2009 to 2014, the Orange were a perennial powerhouse, making Sweet 16s, Final Fours, and even starting one season 25-0. That era feels like a lifetime ago.
The frustration isn’t just coming from fans-it’s coming from the guys who wore the jersey and built the brand.
Elijah Hughes, who starred for the Orange just a few seasons ago, took to social media to share his thoughts: “I hate that Syracuse fans think ALL of our problems are from coaching.” And he’s got a point.
It’s not all on the sideline. But it’s hard to ignore that much of it is.
Eric Devendorf, another Syracuse legend and now an analyst for the ACC Network, didn’t mince words on The Orange Zone podcast. “Let’s just be honest, there’s going to be a change made at the end of the year,” he said. “And if there’s not, then it’s going to be a whole different discussion.”
That’s not just frustration talking-that’s a former player who still bleeds Orange, calling it like he sees it. And he’s not alone.
Etan Thomas, yet another former Syracuse standout, echoed the same sentiments online. His post didn’t need a caption-just a visual representation of the collective exasperation that’s been building for years.
The numbers back it up. Since joining the ACC in 2013-14, Syracuse is a pedestrian 120-114 in conference play-a .513 winning percentage.
Compare that to their final 12 years in the Big East, where they went 136-68 (.667), and the drop-off is hard to ignore. The Orange haven’t danced in March since 2021, and they haven’t been a serious contender in the ACC since they arrived.
And now, the national voices are joining the chorus.
“Syracuse basketball needs an intervention,” one prominent college hoops analyst wrote. “It’s too important to the college game to be this bad.”
That’s the heart of it. Syracuse isn’t just another program.
It’s a cornerstone of college basketball history. And right now, it’s stuck in neutral-at best.
Head coach Adrian Autry is in a tough spot. He took over a storied program with big shoes to fill and a fan base that measures success in Final Fours, not .500 records.
And while there’s respect for what he’s trying to build, the results just haven’t followed. Whether it’s scheme, recruiting, development, or culture, something isn’t clicking.
It’s not easy to talk about change, especially for a program that’s long prided itself on continuity. But when Carmelo Anthony is shaking his head in public, and former players are openly discussing the need for a reset, it’s clear the status quo isn’t cutting it.
Syracuse basketball has too much tradition, too much talent in its history, and too passionate a fan base to settle for mediocrity. The Orange don’t need to live in the past-but they desperately need to find a way back to relevance. And fast.