A steady point guard, imposing center can fuel successful Syracuse basketball season

I don't want to get too carried away by one exhibition game as it pertains to making grand proclamations about the upcoming 2024-25 season for Syracuse basketball, which officially gets going in early November.

At the same time, what I did see in the Orange's 101-73 exhibition win over Division II Clarion University at the JMA Wireless Dome on Saturday afternoon does have me feeling optimistic about what the 'Cuse can achieve in the upcoming campaign.

Numerous things stood out to me in this exhibition, but the two facets at the top of the list are as follows: Syracuse basketball has a steady, pure, pass-first point guard in senior Jaquan Carlos, a four-star transfer from Hofstra.

And the Orange, which has lacked an imposing force at center in recent years, seems to have one this time around in graduate student Eddie Lampkin Jr., a four-star transfer from Colorado.

To reiterate, the 'Cuse has played one exhibition against a Division II opponent. We'll have to wait and see how the Orange fares when the 2024-25 season is officially underway, and Syracuse basketball goes toe to toe with tough non-conference and Atlantic Coast Conference foes.

However, if Carlos and Lampkin perform at a high level this coming term, and I think they will, that gives the Orange an excellent shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence, regardless of where some so-called experts believe the 'Cuse will finish within the ACC's pecking order in 2024-25.

Syracuse basketball appears to have a first-rate point guard and center this coming season.

Against Clarion, Carlos was fabulous. He tallied 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, to go along with 10 assists, three rebounds, three steals and zero turnovers. I've been told by analysts and scouts in the past that Carlos has stellar court vision, and he showed it on Saturday.

He certainly has the ability to score a good amount of points for the 'Cuse, but I imagine his focus will be more on facilitating for others, being a calm, steadying presence at point guard, and locking in on the defensive side.

The Orange, among its other guards and forwards out on the wing, has plenty of scoring firepower. Carlos, I believe, will do a fantastic job of spacing the floor and delivering crispy passes to those other guys for high-quality looks, whether on the perimeter or in the paint.

Speaking of spacing the floor, Lampkin is going to prove highly efficient in that regard as well for Syracuse basketball in 2024-25. At 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, Lampkin is a physical player who should provide ample scoring around the rim, but he'll also stretch the floor due to his solid ability to connect on shots from further out.

Most importantly, at least to me, Lampkin is a terrific passer, so when he's got the ball in the paint, for example, he can look to score near the basket or pass to open teammates around the perimeter. On Saturday in the exhibition victory, Lampkin finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Second-year head coach Adrian Autry and his top-flight staff have 12 scholarship players in 2024-25, and the coaching staff boasts a deep and versatile roster to rely on using many different line-up combinations, as was on display versus Clarion.

Certainly, as the 2024-25 season carries on, Autry may end up using a shorter rotation, although he has said that for the program to thrive this coming term, Syracuse basketball will "have to play more guys" than it did a campaign ago.

Returning starters J.J. Starling, a junior guard, and Chris Bell, a junior small forward, should do a lot of scoring in 2024-25. But freshman power forward Donnie Freeman, freshman big man Petar Majstorovic and freshman shooting guard Elijah Moore will all have an opportunity to contribute, I believe.

A wild card, to me, is redshirt sophomore guard/wing Chance Westry, who didn't play at all in 2023-24 and missed the exhibition on Saturday due to an illness. If he can get going, that will be huge for the Orange.

Jyare Davis, a senior forward who transferred in from Delaware, and Lucas Taylor, a senior guard who transferred in from Georgia State, will get minutes in Autry's rotation, too. Davis is a strong forward who can suit up at the three or the four. Taylor is an athletic, quick and dynamic guard/wing.

It was also encouraging to see senior center Naheem McLeod on the court some on Saturday, after he only appeared in 14 games in 2023-24 due to an injury. To me, it remains to be seen how much run redshirt junior guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. will get in 2024-25, although he is a veteran player.

Now, Syracuse basketball allowing 73 points to Clarion wasn't ideal, and Autry said afterward that his team has a lot of work to do on defense and in the rebounding department.

However, with Carlos manning the point and Lampkin holding down the center spot, that is a wonderful foundation for which the 'Cuse can build as the Orange eyes hearing its name called on Selection Sunday in March of next year.