Syracuse Basketball: Jaquan Carlos has struggled but is confident he can play better

So far in this young 2024-25 season, it's proven a struggle for Syracuse basketball starting point guard Jaquan Carlos.

The 6-foot, 180-pound senior, a four-star transfer from Hofstra, was one of four guys at the collegiate level who transferred to the Orange this past off-season.

When he decided to play for the 'Cuse in 2024-25, several experts told me that Carlos was a terrific addition to Syracuse basketball, noting that Carlos is a steady, pass-first point guard who can score when needed but excels at facilitating for others.

As a junior at Hofstra during the 2023-24 campaign, Carlos averaged 6.3 assists per contest, good for a top-15 showing nationally. And in the Orange's two exhibitions, both wins, Carlos combined for 16 dimes against just one turnover.

However, in the team's five official games at the onset of 2024-25, as Syracuse basketball has gone 3-2 overall, Carlos hasn't played well. He acknowledges it, and he says he's confident that he can get on track, and the Orange will need him to if the 'Cuse wants to have any realistic shot at reaching the 2025 NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence from March Madness.

Syracuse basketball senior point guard Jaquan Carlos knows he has to up his game.

Per ESPN, here are the stats through the first five games for Carlos, who hails from Brooklyn, N.Y. He's averaging 28.6 minutes, 3.6 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 turnovers per affair.

Carlos is connecting on just 23.1 percent from the field, 12.5 percent from beyond the arc and 50.0 percent from the free-throw line. Obviously, that's a rough start for Carlos during his tenure on the Hill, although I fully expect him to improve his performances moving forward.

To that end, Carlos had a candid conversation with Mike Waters of Syracuse.com that I recommend you peruse. I'll share some of the highlights in this column, too. Carlos said in part, "I think I haven’t been playing to my best ability. I think I can definitely play better. I know I can."

Junior small forward Chris Bell noted, "There is another level (to Carlos) that you guys haven’t seen. It’s gonna come out."

Carlos told Waters that he just has to fight through his early season struggles and keep grinding. Take things one day at a time and one game at a time. "I’m working every day trying to get it back," Carlos said.

As Carlos has struggled so far in 2024-25, some of my fellow Syracuse basketball fans have suggested to me via social media that head coach Adrian Autry should insert one of his other guards into the starting line-up, alongside junior J.J. Starling.

Personally, I think that we need to give Carlos a bit more time. And Autry appears to be confident in his starting point guard's ability to turn things around.

"I'm not gonna just give up (on Carlos) one, four or five games into the season," Autry said in the Syracuse.com piece. "All right? He's a good player."