Syracuse basketball is back.
The Orange eyes a trip to the NCAA Tournament following a four-year absence, but we'll have to wait and see if this significantly revamped roster for the 2025-26 season can make that happen in head coach Adrian Autry's third season at the helm of the program.
The 'Cuse fan base grew fairly impatient following a 14-19 record in 2024-25. On paper, though, Syracuse basketball appears to have a more athletic, deeper and more talented line-up as compared to last season.
That being said, the Orange was fairly unimpressive in its recent two-game exhibition docket, despite going 2-0. Things start for real on Monday night, as the 'Cuse will welcome fellow Empire State team Binghamton to the Hill in the season opener.
How to watch Syracuse basketball against Binghamton on Monday evening.
The Orange and the Bearcats out of the America East Conference will meet up at the JMA Wireless Dome on November 3, beginning at 7:00 pm EST. The ACC Network Extra will provide live streaming coverage of this non-conference contest.
In 2024-25, Binghamton went 15-17 overall and 7-9 in conference competition. Head coach Levell Sanders is entering his fifth term leading the Bearcats. In their short all-time series together, the 'Cuse is 5-0 against Binghamton. The schools are located about 75 miles from one another.
Syracuse basketball is projected to finish No. 9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings, according to the league's preseason media poll. The Bearcats are forecast at No. 5 in the America East.
Binghamton senior center Demetrius Lilley is on the preseason All-America East Conference team. In 2024-25, at La Salle, he averaged 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Lilley also previously played for Penn State.
For the 'Cuse, senior shooting guard J.J. Starling is on the preseason All-ACC second team. Donnie Freeman, a sophomore power forward, was awesome in the team's most recent exhibition win over Pace at the Dome, and he is likely to contend for All-ACC honors as well.
One key area to monitor is the relative health of the Syracuse basketball 2025-26 roster. Last season, due to injury, Starling missed seven games, and Freeman only appeared in 14 contests. Ahead of the Binghamton affair, let's see if freshman guard Luke Fennell plays. He missed the Pace game due to a lower-body injury.