Through ten games in the 2025-26 season, Syracuse basketball has shown flashes of promise-but also some glaring issues. And there’s one stat that jumps off the page for all the wrong reasons: free throw shooting.
Right now, the Orange sit dead last in Division I. That’s not hyperbole.
Out of 361 teams, Syracuse ranks 361st in free throw percentage, converting just 56.76% of their trips to the line.
That’s over 200 opportunities at the stripe, and more than half of them have gone begging. The next five teams above Syracuse-Little Rock, App State, Maine, Alcorn, and UTSA-aren’t exactly powerhouses.
In fact, the next closest Power Five team, Cincinnati, is still making over 62% of its free throws. That’s a noticeable gap.
And this isn’t just a stat that popped up in one or two bad games. It’s been a consistent issue across the board-wins and losses alike. Let’s take a closer look at the numbers:
- Binghamton: 11-for-16 (68.8%) - Win
- Delaware State: 11-for-21 (52.4%) - Win
- Drexel: 11-for-15 (73.3%) - Win (the only game above 70%)
- Monmouth: 19-for-33 (57.6%) - Win
- Houston: 12-for-29 (41.4%) - Loss
- Kansas: 13-for-23 (56.5%) - Loss
- Iowa State: 12-for-19 (63.2%) - Loss
- Tennessee: 13-for-22 (59.1%) - Win
- Saint Joseph’s: 15-for-28 (53.6%) - Win
- Hofstra: 9-for-16 (56.3%) - Loss
Only once have the Orange shot above 70% from the line-and that came in their lowest-volume game (15 attempts vs. Drexel).
In seven of their ten games, they’ve failed to crack 60%. That’s not just a slump.
That’s a trend. And it’s one that’s already started to cost them.
Take the Houston game. Syracuse lost by four points in double overtime.
They shot 12-for-29 from the line-just over 41%. That’s 17 missed free throws in a game that went to double OT.
That’s the kind of stat that keeps coaches up at night.
Or look at the Monmouth win. Syracuse pulled it out 78-73, but it wasn’t pretty.
Monmouth was fouling late, trying to extend the game. And the Orange couldn’t capitalize.
They left the door open, and it nearly cost them.
Then there’s the most recent-and maybe most painful-example: a one-point home loss to Hofstra. Yes, the Pride were red-hot from deep, hitting 12 of 18 from beyond the arc.
But Syracuse still had a chance to tie it up in the final seconds. Freshman Sadiq White, shooting 55% from the line this season, stepped up and split a pair.
That miss changed the entire endgame scenario. Instead of playing for overtime, Syracuse was chasing from behind.
Now, let’s be clear: free throw shooting isn’t the only reason Syracuse has lost games. But it’s becoming a factor that’s hard to ignore-especially with ACC play right around the corner.
Close games are the norm in conference play. And when you’re leaving 10 to 15 points on the table every night, that’s not just a weakness.
It’s a liability.
The Orange are getting to the line at a decent clip-22.2 attempts per game, which ranks 131st nationally. That’s in the same ballpark as schools like Oklahoma, Iowa, Rutgers, Illinois, and Michigan. But while those teams are cashing in at the stripe, Syracuse is squandering the opportunity.
Let’s break down the individual numbers among the Orange’s core rotation-eight players averaging 19 or more minutes per game:
- Donnie Freeman: 28-for-36 (77.8%)
- Naithan George: 12-for-16 (75.0%)
- Kiyan Anthony: 22-for-39 (56.4%)
- Nate Kingz: 9-for-16 (56.3%)
- Sadiq White Jr.: 11-for-20 (55.5%)
- Tyler Betsey: 9-for-18 (50.0%)
- William Kyle: 24-for-49 (49.0%)
- **J.J.
Starling**: 8-for-20 (40.0%)
Freeman’s absence is quietly a huge part of the problem. He’s only played in four games, but he’s still made the most free throws on the team and is one of only two players shooting above 70%. George is the other, but he’s barely getting to the line-just 16 attempts so far.
William Kyle is a big piece of the rotation and leads the team in free throw attempts with 49. But he’s making just under half of them. That lines up with his career average-he’s never been a strong foul shooter-but it’s still a tough pill to swallow when he’s getting to the line that often.
Then there’s J.J. Starling.
The junior guard is shooting just 40% from the line and only getting there about twice a game. That low volume might soften the blow a bit, but it also means he’s not drawing enough contact-or when he does, he’s not making teams pay.
Kiyan Anthony is another name to watch. His 39 attempts are second-most on the team, but he’s hitting just 56.4%. That’s a problem for a player who’s expected to be a scoring threat and who’s aggressive enough to get to the line regularly.
There’s no sugarcoating it: Syracuse’s free throw shooting is a major concern. The volume is there.
The talent is there. But the efficiency is nowhere to be found.
And with ACC play on the horizon, the margin for error is about to get a whole lot thinner.
The good news? There’s still time to fix it.
The bad news? It literally can’t get any worse.