Syracuse basketball coaches preach toughness; players failed in that regard vs. Pace

After his team's relatively lackluster exhibition win over a feisty Pace squad on Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry didn't hold back in expressing his disappointment over the Orange's energy level, fight and toughness.

The 'Cuse "got punked a little bit," Autry said in his post-game press conference after Syracuse basketball overcame a lethargic performance for much of Wednesday evening to come away with a 75-57 victory over the Division II Setters, a squad that went 24-8 overall last season and didn't back down to the Orange one iota.

Former Syracuse basketball star Eric Devendorf served as the game analyst on Wednesday for the ACC Network Extra live stream. He said that against a team like Pace, the Orange can likely just rely on its talent to win. However, when Syracuse basketball faces non-conference foes like Houston, Kansas or Tennessee, and basically everyone in the Atlantic Coast Conference, talent isn't going to win games.

Execution is. While I don't want to get too hung up on an exhibition, especially when 11 of the Orange's 13 scholarship players are new to the program, the 2025-26 season officially kicks off against Binghamton on the Hill this coming Monday. And the 'Cuse has a lot of work to do.

Syracuse basketball went 2-0 in exhibition games, but wasn't impressive at all.

In the Orange's first exhibition, a 76-66 win over Buffalo on the road, the 'Cuse also didn't play all that well. We should give Syracuse basketball time to gel as a cohesive unit, without question. However, it's one thing to not shoot well, or have too many turnovers, things of that nature. To not play with energy and intensity, regardless of the opponent, is unacceptable, Autry said.

Not too long ago, assistant coach Allen Griffin noted that Autry is stressing toughness this coming season, particularly on the defensive end, where the team struggled in 2024-25. "If you’re not tough, you’re not going to be able to play the defense that we want you to play," Griffin said.

On Wednesday night against Pace, Orange players were not tough. The Setters wanted to win this game more. If not for a big run in the second half, Pace might have triumphed, as the Setters led for 32.9 percent of this exhibition, according to the official stats.

The bad:
•Pace out-rebounded the 'Cuse, 31-28. The Setters also had 10 offensive boards. That can't happen.
•The Orange defense allowed Pace to shoot 45.8 percent from the field.
•Pace led 13-9 in fast-break points.
•The 'Cuse committed 10 turnovers. Then again, the Setters committed a whopping 23 turnovers, and Pace was still in the game for a sizable portion of the second half. The Orange, though, did lead 22-15 in points off turnovers.
•Syracuse basketball went a poor 5-of-21 from long range. On too many instances, the 'Cuse was settling for 3-point attempts, when it had a clear advantage along its front-line in the paint.
•Three key players for the Orange - junior point guard Naithan George, senior shooting guard J.J. Starling and sophomore forward Tyler Betsey - didn't do much against Pace.
•Oh, the free throws. Syracuse basketball connected on just 14-of-28 from the charity stripe. Fifty percent from the line won't cut it.

Conversely, on the positive side:
•Sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman was fabulous, finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds. So, too, was freshman forward Sadiq White Jr., who had 14 points, four boards and three blocks. He was also 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. If White can consistently make shots from deep, he will be a one-and-done player.
•Redshirt senior small forward Nate Kingz and senior center William Kyle lll each had 10 points, while freshman shooting guard Kiyan Anthony chipped in nine points. Kyle also showed flashes of his athleticism in the interior.
•Despite its woeful 3-point shooting, the Orange hit on 51.9 percent from the field as a whole.
•In other statistical categories, Syracuse basketball led 15-10 in assists, 23-6 in bench points, 6-2 in blocks, 12-8 in steals and 44-30 in paint points. Additionally, the 'Cuse only committed nine personal fouls, as compared to 22 for Pace.