Syracuse basketball's non-conference finale comes on Monday evening, as the Orange will welcome Stonehill to the JMA Wireless Dome. It's a short turnaround for the 'Cuse, which this past Saturday defeated Northeastern on the Hill, 91-83.
After the Orange plays Stonehill, an Easton, Mass.-based team and a member of the Northeast Conference, the 'Cuse will go on its holiday break. Then, on New Year's Eve, Syracuse basketball will host Clemson in the Orange's Atlantic Coast Conference opener of the 2025-26 season. Sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman is expected to return to the team's line-up against the Tigers, a 'Cuse spokesperson told me over the weekend.
Syracuse basketball (8-4 overall) and Stonehill (3-9 overall) are scheduled to tip off on Monday, Dec. 22, at 7:00 pm with streaming coverage on the ACC Network Extra. Per SU Athletics, the Orange and the Skyhawks have played once before, in the 1975-76 campaign. The 'Cuse prevailed at home, 101-55.
Stonehill was forecast to finish at No. 3 in the Northeast Conference this season, according to that league's preseason Coaches' poll. The Skyhawks are No. 340 in both the NCAA NET rankings and via KenPom. The Orange, at the time of this writing, was No. 95 in the NET and No. 84 at KenPom.
Syracuse basketball needs a decisive win versus Stonehill.
In the win over Northeastern, the 'Cuse defense wasn't good, although by and large this term, Syracuse basketball's defense has been solid. Stonehill, meanwhile, isn't great on offense.
The Skyhawks average 69.7 points per game and allow 71.7 points. They average 39.8 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 4.9 steals, 3.9 blocks and a sizable 14.7 turnovers per contest while making 43.1 percent from the field, 69.2 percent from the free-throw line and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Stonehill's best player is sophomore guard Hermann Koffi, who was named to the Northeast Conference's preseason All-League team ahead of the 2025-26 stanza. Koffi is averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per affair while connecting on 43.3 percent from the field, 88.9 percent from the charity stripe and 42.2 percent from 3-point land.
Syracuse basketball, conversely, averages 74.4 points per game and gives up 66.3 points. The Orange averages 36.0 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 7.1 steals, 6.6 blocks and 11.2 turnovers per contest while hitting on 46.6 percent from the field, 60.1 percent from the free-throw line and 29.8 percent from downtown.
It would be encouraging for the 'Cuse and its fan base to have an easy blowout victory on Monday evening, and then Syracuse basketball players can rest and regroup - with Freeman, hopefully, coming back - amid ACC play commencing soon.