Last Monday, I published a fairly pessimistic column on the state of the Syracuse basketball program.
Two days earlier, even amid the return after a seven-game absence by the team's leading scorer, J.J. Starling, the Orange had fallen by 16 points at Florida State, dropping the 'Cuse to 6-8 overall. At that juncture in the 2024-25 season, Syracuse basketball hadn't won an Atlantic Coast Conference game, hadn't beaten a power conference foe, and hadn't triumphed away from the JMA Wireless Dome.
Getting Starling back, naturally, was vital to the Orange improving its outlook for the remainder of the current campaign. Yet as the 'Cuse was set to host Georgia Tech last Tuesday night, word came that freshman power forward Donnie Freeman, the team's leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, would be unavailable due to a lower right leg injury.
Just as Starling has come back, and shined, over the past three affairs, Freeman has missed the Orange's last two games. It would have been understandable, given Freeman's absence, if Syracuse basketball lost at home to Georgia Tech and then at Boston College this past Saturday afternoon.
But the 'Cuse didn't do that. Not in the least. Granted, the Yellow Jackets and the Eagles aren't among the ACC's elite in 2024-25. However, for a Syracuse basketball roster that has had to contend with two rough injuries of late, and is simply trying to build up some momentum amid the fan base growing increasingly frustrated, a win is a win.
For the Orange, make that two victories in a row, and the 'Cuse will host Louisville, which has won six straight and boasts a top-40 NCAA NET ranking, this coming Tuesday night. Another opportunity for Syracuse basketball to display its recent grit and toughness, and we'll just have to see if Freeman is back on the court against the Cardinals.
In leveling its overall record at .500, Syracuse basketball has shown some spunk.
The Orange (8-8, 2-3 in the ACC) still has a long way to go before 'Cuse fans and other observers view Syracuse basketball as anything but an average team in 2024-25. Yet the Orange simply has to take things one game at a time.
Starling being out for seven contests stung. With him back, and exceling, I'd love to see what Syracuse basketball's ceiling could be this season, assuming that Freeman also returns sooner rather than later.
In the 'Cuse two-game success streak, it defeated Georgia Tech, 62-55, on the Hill and then prevailed at Boston College, 79-71. Graduate student center Eddie Lampkin Jr. has two consecutive double-doubles.
🎥 Eddie after his 10-point, 13-rebound, 3-assist performance at BC pic.twitter.com/CcG2W4eYER
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) January 11, 2025
Starling has notched at least 21 points in both triumphs. Senior forward Jyare Davis has proven solid, while senior guard/wing Lucas Taylor has tallied a combined 25 points in that pair of positive encounters.
The Orange's win over the Eagles came after the 'Cuse found itself trailing by eight points with about nine minutes remaining in regulation. Syracuse basketball players, to their credit, remain composed. They took much better care of the basketball than they had in recent games.
At Boston College, minus arguably its second-best player this stanza, the 'Cuse went on a 33-17 run to take out the Eagles. That comeback, to me, exemplified the Orange roster's character and heart. Yes, this team has weaknesses, but even facing difficult circumstances of late, Syracuse basketball didn't throw in the towel. Not in the least.
I'm not suggesting that the 'Cuse, all of a sudden, is going to morph into a team that will significantly contend for a berth in this spring's NCAA Tournament. We're a long way from that sort of conversation.
However, a week ago, I was down in the dumps. Way more doom and gloom than usual. After two straight victories, I'm feeling a tad more optimistic about our beloved Orange. Now let's just keep our fingers crossed that Donnie's return is imminent.