The mood around Syracuse basketball right now is tense-and that might be putting it lightly.
After dropping their third straight game, this time a 85-76 home loss to Miami, frustration is boiling over in the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange are now 12-8 overall and 3-4 in the ACC, and while that’s not a disastrous record on paper, the vibes around the program are anything but encouraging.
Fans made their displeasure known on Saturday, with boos echoing through the Dome and chants of “Fire Autry” breaking out during the game. That reaction didn’t sit well with the players-understandably so.
Junior point guard Naithan George didn't mince words when asked about the crowd’s response. “I just blocked that noise out,” George said.
“These guys have never played at this level and don’t know what we go through every day and how hard we work. And just for them to come out here and boo, that’s, you know, that’s very disrespectful.”
It’s a raw, honest response-and it speaks to the emotional toll that comes with being on the floor when things aren't going your way. George’s point is valid: fans don’t see the grind behind the scenes.
The hours of film, the weight room, the travel, the pressure. But fans also invest in the program, emotionally and financially, and when they see a team struggling-especially one with Syracuse’s storied history-they’re going to react.
Senior center William Kyle III echoed a similar sentiment, acknowledging the boos but emphasizing the team’s focus. “Yeah, we hear that,” he said.
“We try and just stay locked in on the game through the boos and stuff like that. Obviously, it sucks to hear boos and stuff like that from the crowd. ...
We just have to go out there and just play as hard as we can.”
That’s the tightrope college athletes walk in today’s game. With NIL money and increased visibility, there’s more opportunity than ever-but also more scrutiny. And when a proud fan base like Syracuse’s sees its team struggling, the criticism comes quickly.
Head coach Adrian Autry addressed the noise postgame, both literally and figuratively. “There’s a lot more opportunities out there,” Autry said.
“The ACC provides us this year with more opportunities than we’ve had in the past, so there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. ... I think we can change this and turn this thing around.
I know we can.”
That’s the mindset Autry has to have, even with the pressure mounting. And to be fair, this isn’t a team getting blown out every night.
Outside of double-digit losses to Iowa State and Kansas in Las Vegas, most of the Orange’s defeats have been close-five points or fewer, or in overtime. So while the record doesn’t shine, the margins are thin.
Still, the frustration is real. Syracuse fans are used to a certain standard, and it’s been a while since the program has consistently met it. That doesn’t excuse personal attacks or vitriol on social media-there’s a line between passionate criticism and outright disrespect-but it does explain the intensity of the reaction.
Freshman guard Kiyan Anthony also weighed in, defending his head coach. “You can’t attack a man’s character like that,” Anthony said. “He’s a person before everything.”
That’s a reminder we all need sometimes. Coaches and players are human.
They feel the boos. They hear the chatter.
And while criticism comes with the territory, especially at a program with Syracuse’s pedigree, there’s a difference between calling out poor execution and calling for someone’s head without perspective.
There’s still time left this season, and the ACC schedule offers chances to right the ship. But the pressure is on-not just to win, but to show signs of growth, identity, and fight. Because in a place like Syracuse, expectations don’t take a year off.
The noise is loud. Now we’ll see how the Orange respond.