Syracuse basketball, led by Chris Bell and Elijah Moore, hits in bunches from deep

If Syracuse basketball connects from the perimeter in the upcoming 2024-25 season as it did on Wednesday night in its second and final exhibition, this will prove a dangerous Orange squad both in the Atlantic Coast Conference and on a national scale.

Now, to be fair, Wednesday evening's 96-51 victory for the 'Cuse at the JMA Wireless Dome over Division II Slippery Rock University from Slippery Rock, Pa., was an exhibition. And while the Orange made around 47 percent of its 3-point attempts versus The Rock, to expect Syracuse basketball to consistently hit at that level is unrealistic, in my humble opinion.

But still, it was encouraging to see. The 'Cuse went 2-0 in its exhibition contests, having previously defeated Division II Clarion University from Clarion, Pa., by a final of 101-73.

Now things are set to start for real, as second-year head coach Adrian Autry, his top-flight staff and their 2024-25 roster officially begin their upcoming campaign on Monday, Nov. 4, when nearby Le Moyne will pay a visit to the Hill in the Orange's season opener.

Let's dive into the Syracuse basketball exhibition triumph over Slippery Rock.

In its win over The Rock, the 'Cuse connected on 50 percent from the field as a whole, 47 percent from beyond the arc and 65 percent from the free-throw line.

As has often proven the case in recent years, Syracuse basketball will have to continue working on its rebounding. Yes, the Orange held a 50-42 edge over Slippery Rock on the boards, but this 'Cuse foe also corralled 17 offensive rebounds.

For some context, though, The Rock collectively shot 22 percent from the field, so at that poor clip, one would expect Syracuse basketball to allow its opponent some offensive boards.

In other statistical categories, the Orange led 22-7 in assists, 50-16 in bench points, 23-10 in fast-break points, 21-11 in points off turnovers, and 32-18 in paint points. The 'Cuse and Slippery Rock were tied in turnovers committed, at 14 each.

Individually speaking, junior small forward Chris Bell was impressive, leading Syracuse basketball with 17 points while going 5-of-8 from the perimeter. Freshman shooting guard Elijah Moore, a 2024 four-star prospect, was terrific, knocking down 4-of-9 from long range to generate 12 points.

Senior forward Jyare Davis, a four-star transfer from Delaware, had 10 points and six rebounds, while connecting on 2-of-3 from deep. Junior guard J.J. Starling contributed eight points, five boards, three dimes and knocked down a pair of triples.

Senior guard/wing Lucas Taylor, a four-star transfer from Georgia State, had nine points, six rebounds, two assists and also made a 3-pointer. Senior point guard Jaquan Carlos, a four-star transfer from Hofstra, produced six assists against just one turnover, after having 10 dimes and zero miscues in the team's win over Clarion.

Donnie Freeman, the freshman power forward and consensus 2024 five-star prospect, chipped in 11 points and three boards. Kyle Cuffe Jr., a redshirt junior guard, was solid, finishing with 10 points.

Naheem McLeod, a senior center, collected nine points and seven rebounds. Chance Westry, a redshirt sophomore guard/wing, didn't play in either exhibition due to an undisclosed illness. After the Orange's victory over Slippery Rock, Autry said that Westry might be able to play in the season opener this Monday, but it's not a 100 percent guarantee.

In the Slippery Rock encounter, Autry used a different starting line-up for the second straight exhibition, going with Carlos, Starling, Bell, Davis and Freeman against The Rock.