Syracuse Wins, But Adrian Autry’s Postgame Message Raises Eyebrows
Syracuse got the win Wednesday night, but head coach Adrian Autry’s postgame comments may have drawn more attention than the scoreboard.
The Orange beat Division II Mercyhurst 76-62 at the JMA Dome. That’s a win, yes-but it’s also a game Syracuse was expected to dominate.
FanDuel had the Orange as 26.5-point favorites. Instead, they slogged through a 14-point win that included 16 turnovers, a 4-for-17 night from three, and a second half where they were outscored 39-37.
Not exactly the type of performance that inspires confidence heading into ACC play.
But when Autry stepped to the podium afterward, he didn’t sound like a coach concerned about his offense. In fact, he doubled down.
“There’s nothing wrong with our offense,” Autry said, a point he repeated multiple times in the press conference.
It was a bold stance, especially given the context. Syracuse had just lost to Hofstra at home-a game where the offense looked stagnant and disconnected. Against Mercyhurst, the Orange looked like a team going through the motions, and the numbers tell a story that’s hard to ignore.
Autry pointed to Syracuse’s shooting percentages as evidence of offensive health: “We shoot 46, 47% from the 2-point,” he said. Technically, that number was 45.9% entering the game-ranking 166th in the country. Not terrible, but not exactly elite either.
From beyond the arc? “Right around 31-32%, maybe a little bit better,” Autry added.
That one’s a bit tougher to defend. SU was shooting 30.5% from three coming into Wednesday, which placed them 305th nationally.
That’s bottom-tier by any standard.
Still, Autry stuck to his message. “We have a great balance offensively,” he said.
“The one place that we have had some issues and some struggles with is the free throw line. That’s improving.”
He’s not wrong about the struggles. Syracuse entered the game ranked dead last-365th in the country-in free throw shooting at 56.3%.
Against Mercyhurst, they did shoot 75% (12-of-16), a step in the right direction. But when you’re starting from the bottom, any improvement is going to look like progress.
Autry continued to defend the offense by pointing out the volume of free throws Syracuse earns: “We get to the free throw line about 22 times a game. Because we have guys that can put pressure on the rim.”
He’s right there-this team does attack the paint. But getting to the line and converting are two very different things.
“If we didn’t leave those points out there,” Autry said, “we’d be averaging almost 80 points. That’s what we’d be doing.”
He also made a case that Syracuse’s offensive numbers need to be viewed in context. “By the way, we played against four of the top 10 defenses in the country and were able to score enough to keep us right there,” he said, referring to matchups against Houston, Kansas, Iowa State, and Tennessee.
Let’s break that down. SU scored:
- 74 (67 in regulation) vs. Houston
- 60 vs. Kansas
- 64 vs. Iowa State
- 62 vs. Tennessee
That’s an average of 65 points per game in a 1-3 stretch. Respectable, considering the defensive pedigree of those programs. But it’s also not exactly a glowing endorsement of offensive firepower.
Autry’s tone throughout the presser was firm, even defiant. “Our narrative is not what everyone else’s narrative is,” he said.
“You can look at things the way you want to look at things. What I look at is a group that, you know, has the ingredients.
We’re still working. We’re still improving.
I’m just excited for the future.”
That’s the kind of message you want to hear from a coach-optimism, belief in the process, confidence in his players. But when paired with a flat performance against a Division II opponent, it can come off as tone-deaf.
There’s no question Autry is still carving out his identity as the man in charge. He’s 41-35 in his head coaching career and still searching for his first win against a Quad 1 opponent. That’s a tough stat to shake, especially at a program with Syracuse’s history.
To be fair, the Orange have played the last seven games without leading scorer Donnie Freeman, who dressed for the Mercyhurst game but didn’t play. His return could be a spark this team desperately needs. Even without Freeman, Syracuse has managed to shoot 46% from the field and average 73 points per game-numbers that suggest there’s potential under the surface.
But right now, the offense is hard to define. Isolation sets, pick-and-rolls, and a lot of standing around when the initial action breaks down. There’s talent on the roster, but the cohesion just hasn’t clicked yet.
Autry had a chance Wednesday night to bring fans into the fold-to acknowledge the struggles, point to the progress, and ask for patience. Instead, he drew a line in the sand.
“It’s a long season, an up and down season, bumps and all that,’’ Autry said. “We’re equipping ourselves for the ride. We’re sitting there, putting our seat-belt on and we’re gonna do it together.’’
It’s a sentiment that can work-if the results start to follow.
Syracuse wraps up its non-conference schedule with Northeastern on Saturday and Stonehill on Monday. Then it’s ACC play.
The real test. The time when the “nothing wrong with our offense” line will either hold up-or get exposed.
For now, Syracuse has the win. But the questions aren’t going away.