Syracuse men’s basketball comes into 2024-25 on the same page with one goal in mind.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Make it to the tournament. Get back to that tournament. Get to the tournament. Get back to the tournament where Syracuse belongs. Those were the responses given by JJ Starling, Kyle Cuffe, Eddie Lampkin, Naheem McLeod on media day.
The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2021, an atypical three-year drought that represents unfamiliar territory for the storied program. The last time that happened Syracuse didn’t have a conference affiliation (1970-1972).
The Orange will be a decidedly older group in 2024-25, an intentional response by Adrian Autry and his staff as the program will attempt to end a three hiatus from the Big Dance. Now, with a more experienced group in tow, Syracuse hopes its four seniors out of the transfer portal will help the Orange find its way back to post-season play.
“They’ve been through some wars. They know this is an opportunity for them and they’re happy. They want to be here as much as we wanted them here,” Autry said of the four transfers. “These guys are all mature. They have a good IQ for the game. They understand what it takes to be successful on and off the court. Their maturity and togetherness has been a really good surprise.”
As representative of that maturity and IQ, the team will be spearheaded by Jaquan Carlos, the Hofstra transfer who will be expected to stabilize Syracuse from the point guard position, initiate the offense and set up his teammates.
Down low, the Orange have a bona fide low-post presence in Colorado transfer Eddie Lampkin who can pass and step out on occasion, fitting the style of play Autry prefers with pace and space in a five out offense. Lampkin will also serve as one of the loudest voices in the locker room. Asked if he’s taken on a mentor approach to any of the younger players, he answered in a different way.
“We all took everybody under our wing,” Lampkin said, “because we all want to get to the tournament.”
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Jyare Davis gives the Orange an experienced forward who can rebound, defend and play around the basket. The burly Davis figures to be a nice compliment to the talented, athletic and hyped freshman Donnie Freeman. Lastly, Lucas Taylor brings scoring and additional shooting into the fold behind Chris Bell.
Syracuse’s returning players are now experienced upperclassmen too. Bell returns alongside JJ Starling, now as juniors. Starling is expected to be a leader of the group.
“JJ, who’s been through it, he understands. He was a part of Notre Dame team then he was a part of last year’s team where we had a winning streak, a losing streak. He’s been through adverse scenarios. I think our voices, our leaders of our locker room have experience,” Autry said.
Starling, in lockstep with his teammates’ responses, has the same goal in mind as the others.
“We feel like we got the right group of guys to make it far and make it to the tournament. Those are our expectations,” JJ Starling said.
To do so and earn an at-large berth, Syracuse will have to defy the expectations the conference has for it. Preseason optimism in common among all programs, but the Orange were picked to finish eleventh in the conference in the preseason media poll. Syracuse hasn’t finish eleventh or lower since joining the league. The players on this team are motivated and well aware of where they were picked in the preseason media poll.
Making the NCAA Tournament has become a bit of a science. At least, it’s probably not an art. With expanding metrics that start with the NET and end with the selection committee, many have tried to quantify the tournament selection process by, among others things, manipulating the NET in their favor by scheduling softer and blowing teams out.
When prompted with the question of how Syracuse can get back to the tournament, Autry referenced KenPom before offering up a much simpler answer and sounding a bit like his predecessor.
“You gotta win games,” Autry began. “You gotta win non-conference games and you have to schedule teams. You have to give your team a chance and I think we’ve done that with our conference. We’ve got some great non-conference opponents and we have to win some of those games, if not all.”
Syracuse will have key non-conference games against Texas, St. Joe’s/Texas Tech, Tennessee and Maryland. Beyond that, the Orange will have a much softer non-conference schedule compared to a season ago.
Prior to its three-season tournament drought, Syracuse had become one of the country’s most notorious bubble teams. The Orange could flirt with that status again, but any predictions as to where it might land this early with so many unknowns would be foolish. It can be a long season, and the veteran players understand that intuitively. There’s no substitute for experience and the standard at Syracuse starts with getting to the NCAA Tournament.
“I do think with the experience they understand the longevity of the season and ups and downs of the season,” Autry said. “So I think we’ll be able to bounce back.”