Syracuse Basketball Slipping as Tournament Hopes Fade with Losses to UNC, Virginia
The road’s getting rough for Syracuse men’s basketball. Back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Virginia have not only exposed some glaring issues on the floor, but they’ve also pushed the Orange closer to the edge of missing the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight season - a streak that would be just one shy of the program’s longest drought since the late '60s.
Let’s start with the trip to Chapel Hill, where the Tar Heels didn’t just win - they dominated. North Carolina, behind a strong showing from projected 2026 NBA lottery pick Caleb Wilson, built a 32-point second-half lead and never looked back.
Wilson dropped 22 points and pulled down nine boards, doing damage on both ends and showing why NBA scouts are salivating. Syracuse had no answer for his combination of size, touch, and motor.
J.J. Starling tried to spark something for the Orange, attacking the paint with aggression, but the momentum never swung Syracuse’s way.
The only time they led was at 2-0. That’s it.
Donnie Freeman had a standout performance, pouring in a game-high 23 points, but it was largely a solo effort in a game where UNC dictated pace, energy, and execution from the jump.
Meanwhile, Kiyan Anthony - son of Syracuse legend Carmelo Anthony - scored 10 points on 10 shots. After the game, Carmelo took to Instagram with a simple but telling reaction: “SMFH.” That’s the kind of frustration that speaks volumes, especially coming from someone who once led this program to a national title.
The atmosphere in the Dean E. Smith Center was electric, with the UNC student section fired up even before tip-off. Off the court, there’s been some noise around the potential relocation of the arena, which has sparked student activism - but on the court, the Tar Heels were fully locked in.
Then came the matchup with Virginia, and once again, Syracuse couldn’t find the answers. The Cavaliers, under first-year head coach Ryan Odom, clinched their 20th win of the season, fueled by dominance on the offensive glass and hot shooting from beyond the arc. It was a blueprint win for UVA - control tempo, win the hustle stats, and let the defense do the rest.
Nate Kingz was one of the few bright spots for Syracuse, putting up 13 points and joining two other teammates in double figures. But it wasn’t enough to avoid a 13-point loss - the Orange’s sixth in their last seven games. That kind of skid can derail a season, especially in a year where every game matters for bubble teams.
Adrian Autry’s frustration was visible. During the UNC game, he stood on the sideline with one hand on the back of his head and the other on his hip, watching another Quad 1 opportunity slip away. Under Autry, Syracuse is now 4-22 in such games - a stat that looms large when the selection committee starts making decisions.
Against Virginia, Autry made a notable move: Kiyan Anthony didn’t see the floor. It was the first DNP of his young career, and the head coach chalked it up as a “coach’s decision.” Meanwhile, Bryce Zephir logged nine minutes - his second-most in a conference game this season - as Autry searched for any kind of spark off the bench.
The body language said it all. Kiyan sat on the bench, hand covering his mouth, watching as the game - and perhaps the season - slipped further away.
With the ACC schedule only getting tougher from here, the Orange are running out of time to turn things around. The talent is there in flashes - Freeman’s scoring, Kingz’s energy, Starling’s slashing - but consistency, especially against top-tier opponents, has been elusive.
If Syracuse wants to avoid missing March Madness yet again, the margin for error is gone. Every possession, every rotation, every decision from here on out carries weight. Because right now, the Orange aren’t just fighting for seeding - they’re fighting for survival.