Arizona and UConn both handled their exhibition work on Tuesday night, each putting together comfortable wins in a small preseason slate that also featured Samford and Alabama A&M.
The Huskies opened with the more lopsided result, rolling past Syracuse 72-52 in Storrs despite being without sophomore guard Braylon Mullins. UConn still had plenty of punch.
Seton Hall transfer Najai Hines led the way with 17 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes, while Silas Demary added 13 points and Nikolas Khamenia finished with 12. Freshmen Colben Landrew and Junior Country combined for 17 points as the Huskies got a strong showing even without their projected top player.
The Orange were dealt an early blow when Temple transfer Aiden Tobiason suffered a hamstring injury and did not play. Syracuse shot just 31% from the field, and sophomore forward Sadiq White Jr. was the only player to reach double figures with 17 points.
Kiyan Anthony had a tough night, finishing with six points on 2/11 shooting. Syracuse defended well enough to stay competitive at times, but the offense never really found a rhythm.
Arizona followed with a 93-69 win over San Francisco in a late West Coast matchup. Sophomore wing Bryce James started and knocked down a three to begin the game, though that was the extent of his scoring. Motiejus Krivas paced the Wildcats with 20 points, Ivan Krachenkov added 18 points and five rebounds, and five-star freshman guard Caleb Holt chipped in 17 points on 6/10 shooting.
San Francisco had its moments, but this one belonged to Arizona from the jump. Dylan Bordon provided the Dons’ best stretch, scoring 18 first-half points on his way to 22, though he also committed nine turnovers.
With a couple of San Francisco players unavailable, the task only got tougher. The result leaves the question of how realistic the Dons’ hopes are of pushing for a top spot in the new-look WCC this season.
Samford also picked up a 71-61 exhibition win over Alabama A&M. Cooper Noard, a fifth-year senior, led Samford with 15 points, while Ty Davis and Will Shaver each posted double-doubles. Bilal Abdur-Rahman was Alabama A&M’s only double-digit scorer, finishing with 15 points in the loss.
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Syracuse Just Saw How Far It Still Has To Go Under McNamara
Syracuse got a reminder at Mohegan Sun Arena that the rebuild under Adrian Autry still has work to do, even if the first half looked promising. The Orange led Connecticut by five at halftime in an exhibition game, and for stretches their defense gave them a chance to hang around against a high-level opponent despite playing without Aiden Tobiason, who left early with an injury, and Mark Morano.
The second half told the bigger story. Syracuse was outscored badly after the break and never found enough offense to match its effort on the other end, turning what had been a competitive look into a 72-52 loss. For a team still trying to sort out its identity, the game offered a clear picture of both the progress and the distance left to cover. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses First McNamara Test Exposed A Concern Fans Cant Ignore
The first real look at Syracuse with Kyle McNamara in an exhibition setting came with plenty to unpack, and not much of it was easy. A trip to Mohegan Sun Arena ended in a 72-52 loss to UConn, with the Orange already short-handed before tipoff after freshman Mark Morano sat out because of injury and Aidan Tobiason went down early with a hamstring issue. Even in an exhibition, the matchup offered a useful early snapshot of where this group stands, and it was clear Syracuse had trouble matching UConns physicality.
Ryan Moesch and Sadiq White provided a few bright spots, but the bigger issues were hard to miss. Syracuse struggled to rebound and had a difficult time finding offense against a defense that smothered possessions and turned the game into a grind. For a team still trying to establish its identity under McNamara, the concern is less about one October result than the way the Orange were pushed around in the areas that usually travel best when the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses First Gerry McNamara Test Raised One Early Concern
The first exhibition under Gerry McNamara offered an early look at what Syracuse wants to be this season: fast, energetic and willing to play at a pace that can make opponents uncomfortable. There were encouraging signs too, including the debut of freshman Ryan Moesch, along with stretches that hinted at where this group can grow as it settles into McNamaras approach.
Still, the loss to UConn also provided a reminder that the Orange are nowhere near a finished product. Syracuse had moments of promise on the glass and around the basket, but the game exposed some familiar unevenness in shooting and rebounding, and the injury to Aiden Tobiason added another layer of concern to an opener that was supposed to be more about evaluation than results. [Read more 🡒]