Syracuse Basketball’s Margin for Error Is Shrinking - and So Is the Patience
Syracuse didn’t lose to Virginia Tech because of one missed rebound. But if you watched head coach Adrian Autry’s postgame reaction, you’d be forgiven for thinking that single moment summed up everything that’s gone wrong for the Orange lately.
The 76-74 loss to the Hokies on Wednesday night wasn’t just another tally in the loss column - it was a snapshot of a team struggling to close, to execute, and to take care of the little things that separate good teams from the rest.
And while the missed rebound didn’t decide the game, it clearly stuck with Autry. It wasn’t just a coaching critique - it was an emotional flashpoint, a visible sign of frustration from a coach who knows his team is running out of time to live up to expectations.
Freeman Shoulders the Blame
Freshman forward Chris Freeman didn’t shy away from the moment. In a quiet postgame locker room, he took responsibility for the play - and more.
He didn’t sugarcoat it, didn’t deflect. He owned it.
“I just didn’t get it,” Freeman said of the rebound. “There’s no excuse.
These little things are starting to haunt us. Missed free throw box out this game, missed free throw last game.
That’s two games, back-to-back, I’ve cost us. It’s painful.”
That kind of accountability is rare for a freshman, especially one who’s been a bright spot for Syracuse in recent weeks. But it also underscores the deeper issue: the Orange aren’t losing because they’re getting blown out - they’re losing because they’re beating themselves.
The Margins Matter - and Syracuse Keeps Losing Them
Autry has been hammering the same message: focus in the margins. That’s where games are won or lost, and right now, Syracuse is consistently coming up short.
The Virginia Tech game wasn’t an outlier - it was part of a pattern. One game earlier, against Boston College, Freeman missed the front end of a one-and-one.
The team failed to execute a late-game foul strategy, allowing a game-tying three. Autry and his staff also burned a timeout on a challenge they didn’t win - a timeout that would’ve been valuable down the stretch.
And this isn’t new. Go back to December - a technical foul on Sadiq White helped Hofstra pull off an upset in the JMA Wireless Dome. Earlier in the season, poor free-throw shooting cost Syracuse a winnable game against Houston in Las Vegas.
It’s the same story, just different details.
Turnovers, Rebounding, and Missed Opportunities
Center Will Kyle didn’t mince words when asked what’s going wrong. Syracuse is last in the ACC in turnovers, coughing it up 14.5 times per game in conference play. Against Virginia Tech, many of those turnovers were unforced - mental lapses, poor decisions, careless execution.
“We were in position to win the game and we didn’t do the things we needed to do,” Kyle said. “We didn’t get the 50-50 balls.
We didn’t get offensive rebounds. We could have been smarter on defense with our fouls.
It’s a combination of all those things.”
That’s the frustrating part - Syracuse is in these games. They’re not getting run off the floor.
But they’re not closing. And in the ACC, that’s the difference between fighting for a tournament bid and fading into the middle of the pack.
Autry’s Seat Is Getting Warmer
Autry’s record now sits at 46-38 overall, 21-25 in ACC play. That’s not the kind of trajectory Syracuse fans are used to, especially for a program that ranks seventh all-time in Division I wins. Since taking over for Jim Boeheim, Autry has talked about building his version of Syracuse basketball - but so far, the results haven’t matched the ambition.
The crowd at the Dome is starting to feel it too. During the loss to Virginia Tech, boos echoed through the arena.
A small but noticeable “Fire Autry” chant broke out from the student section. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it was audible - and telling.
The mandate from the athletic department has been clear: meaningful games in March. That’s not out of reach, but the window is closing - fast.
A Brutal Stretch Ahead
The Orange are heading into a tough stretch with the softest part of their schedule already behind them. Their next two opponents are teams receiving votes in the AP Top 25.
There’s no more margin for error. The little things that have been costing them games?
They need to be cleaned up - immediately.
Freshman guard Kiyan Anthony summed it up: “We know we’re way better than we’re showing. That’s an easy win we could have had.
We dropped one. We dropped one to Boston.
We have to tighten up. ... We’ve dropped a lot of games we would have won.”
That’s the story of Syracuse’s season so far - close, but not close enough. And unless something changes quickly, the Orange could find themselves on the outside looking in come March.