Syracuse Basketball: Preseason KenPom rating for the Orange is dreadful

Syracuse basketball is just outside the top 100, according to preseason rankings from analytics guru KenPom ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

Before we all get too worked up over this, let me just reiterate: this is a preseason rating. If the Orange takes care of business during 2023-24, its KenPom ranking is only going to improve.

To that end, the ‘Cuse begins its first season under head coach Adrian Autry in early November, and the Orange will be thoroughly tested early on, between challenging non-conference games and tough initial foes in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

When KenPom published its preseason national ratings, Syracuse basketball found itself at No. 105 overall. The Orange’s adjusted offensive efficiency is No. 100, while the squad’s adjusted defensive efficiency is No. 139.

Syracuse basketball will face many teams highly rated in preseason KenPom rankings.

Let’s take a look at the preseason KenPom national ratings of every Orange opponent in the upcoming 2023-24 stanza.

•New Hampshire at the Dome on November 6
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 300

•Canisius at the Dome on November 8
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 261

•Colgate at the Dome on November 14
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 133

•Tennessee at the 2023 Maui Jim Maui Invitational in Honolulu on November 20
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 8

•Purdue or Gonzaga at the Maui Invitational on November 21
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 1 (Purdue)
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 5 (Gonzaga)

•Kansas, Chaminade, UCLA or Marquette at the Maui Invitational on November 22
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 2 (Kansas)
KenPom preseason ranking: NA (Chaminade)
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 26 (UCLA)
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 11 (Marquette)

•LSU at the Dome on November 28 (ACC/SEC Challenge)
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 47

•At Virginia on December 2
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 33

•Cornell at the Dome on December 5
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 131

•At Georgetown on December 9
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 159

•Oregon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on December 17
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 41

•Niagara at the Dome on December 21
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 262

•Pittsburgh at the Dome on December 30
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 62

•At Duke on January 2
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 9

•Boston College at the Dome on January 10
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 128

•At North Carolina on January 13
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 17

•At Pittsburgh on January 16
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 62

•Miami at the Dome on January 20
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 45

•Florida State at the Dome on January 23
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 88

•N.C. State at the Dome on January 27
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 61

•At Boston College on January 30
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 128

•At Wake Forest on February 3
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 73

•Louisville at the Dome on February 7
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 109

•Clemson at the Dome on February 10
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 51

•North Carolina at the Dome on February 13
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 17

•At Georgia Tech on February 17
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 118

•At N.C. State on February 20
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 61

•Notre Dame at the Dome on February 24
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 165

•Virginia Tech at the Dome on February 27
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 65

•At Louisville on March 2
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 109

•At Clemson on March 5
KenPom preseason ranking: No. 51

As I noted in a separate recent piece, the ‘Cuse will also square off versus a bunch of foes that reside in the Associated Press preseason top-25 poll, which was disclosed in recent days as well.