Syracuse Basketball: Defensive Growth, Shooting Struggles, and a Glimmer of Hope in a Tumultuous Season
It’s been a bumpy ride for Syracuse this season. With six losses in their last seven games, the Orange are navigating unfamiliar territory - the kind of stretch that never happened under Jim Boeheim. Now in his third year at the helm, Adrian Autry is facing the kind of pressure that comes with high expectations and a roster packed with new faces.
After an 87-77 loss to No. 11 North Carolina, Autry was asked a simple but telling question: *Is Syracuse getting better at anything?
- His answer? Yes - but consistency remains elusive.
“We just have to do a better job of really locking in, and focusing on what we talk about and what we preach,” Autry said. “Not fighting it, but getting with it.”
Syracuse sits two games above .500 at 13-11 overall and 4-7 in ACC play. That puts them 13th in the conference standings - not where anyone in Orange Nation wants to be.
But beneath the surface of another underwhelming season, there are signs of progress. Let’s break it down.
Defense: A Legitimate Step Forward
Autry came into the season wanting a team that could defend and play with pace. The pace part hasn’t materialized - Syracuse is actually playing a bit slower than last year, averaging 67.9 possessions per 40 minutes compared to 68.4, per KenPom.
But defensively? This group has taken a real step forward.
Last season, Syracuse ranked 152nd in defensive efficiency. This year, they’ve climbed to 63rd - a massive leap.
The Orange are holding opponents to a 48% effective field goal percentage, good for 53rd in the nation. For context, they were 275th last year, allowing opponents to shoot nearly 53%.
That’s not just a small improvement - it’s a transformation. And it starts in the paint.
UCLA transfer William Kyle III and freshman Donnie Freeman have anchored the interior with length, timing, and instincts. Both rank among the top 40 defenders in the ACC based on EvanMiya’s Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR), a stat that evaluates on-court defensive impact.
Oregon State transfer Nate Kingz has been a welcome addition on the perimeter, while senior guard J.J. Starling has made strides as a defender as well.
This isn’t a lockdown unit yet, but it’s no longer the liability it once was.
Shooting: Some Progress, But Still Inconsistent
Syracuse loaded up on shooters in the offseason. Kingz and Cincinnati transfer Tyler Betsey were brought in to stretch the floor, and four-star freshman Kiyan Anthony - yes, Carmelo’s son - was expected to provide a scoring spark off the bench.
The shooting has improved, just not as much as hoped.
The Orange are hitting 33.5% from beyond the arc, ranking 201st in Division I. That’s up slightly from last year’s 32.8% clip (225th), but still far from elite. Betsey has been the most reliable from deep, knocking down 41.1% of his threes, while Kingz is hitting at a respectable 36.6%.
But the rest of the roster hasn’t found consistent rhythm. Anthony is shooting just 23.3% from three, Starling is at 31.8%, and Naithan George sits at 31.6%. Freeman’s 34% from deep is a positive sign, especially considering he’s taking more threes this year and hitting them with better efficiency.
There’s potential here, but it’s not being realized consistently. And in a league as competitive as the ACC, streaky shooting can be the difference between a win and a blowout loss.
Blocking Shots: A New Identity in the Paint
If there’s one area where Syracuse has made a definitive statement, it’s in rim protection.
The Orange are rejecting shots at one of the highest rates in the country - 15.9% of opponent possessions end in a block, ranking sixth nationally. That’s a massive jump from last season’s 6.8% block rate.
In ACC play, Syracuse is averaging 12.9 blocks per game - second only to Virginia (13.9). That’s not a typo. This team is swatting everything.
Leading the charge is Kyle, the 6-foot-9 forward with a wingspan that seems to stretch baseline to baseline. He’s averaging 2.7 blocks per game, tied for third in the nation. His timing, footwork, and defensive IQ make him a constant threat around the rim.
Freeman, White Jr., and bench big Akir Souare are all contributing as well, each averaging 0.7 blocks per game. Even Kingz, a guard, has chipped in with 13 blocks across 24 games - showing just how committed this group is to protecting the paint.
Where They Stand - and What’s Next
Right now, Syracuse is on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. At No. 70 in KenPom, No. 68 in EvanMiya, and No. 71 in the NET rankings, the Orange are better than last year - but not by much.
They finished 14-19 last season and were well outside the top 100 in most metrics. This year’s group is more competitive, more defensively sound, and slightly more efficient on offense. But with the regular season winding down, it would likely take an ACC Tournament title to punch a ticket to March Madness.
That’s a tall task - but not impossible.
Freeman, Kyle, and Kingz give Syracuse a solid core. There’s enough talent here to make a run if everything clicks.
The defense is real. The shot-blocking is elite.
The shooting is streaky, but there are weapons.
The Orange are still chasing the ACC’s upper crust - Duke, Carolina, Virginia, Louisville. But they’re not completely out of the conversation. They’ve improved, even if the record doesn’t fully show it.
Consistency remains the missing piece. If Autry’s squad can find it, they could still turn this season into something more than just a developmental year.
For now, though, the Orange are stuck in the middle - better, but still searching for a breakthrough.