Syracuse basketball players call out fans for booing - 'That’s very disrespectful'

Syracuse basketball fans aren't pleased with the state of the program, and Orange players aren't pleased with how some fans are acting.

What a mess.

Amid the 'Cuse losing its third straight game on Saturday afternoon at home, by nine points to Miami with Syracuse football hosting one of its junior days, the Orange fan base is growing louder in its desire for head coach Adrian Autry to be let go.

I'm not convinced that firing Autry now is the way to go or will improve the program whatsoever for the time being. But still, the negative sentiments among fans regarding Syracuse basketball are abundant, and as a proud SU alum, this makes me sad.

Understandably, during Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference clash on the Hill, one could hear boos pervade the JMA Wireless Dome at various times. Orange players weren't happy about that.

Syracuse basketball is in a bad spot, and the fan base is uber frustrated.

After the team's 85-76 setback to the Hurricanes, Autry addressed the noise surrounding the program in his post-game press conference, while some 'Cuse players also gave their thoughts on the fan base.

Junior point guard Naithan George, according to Syracuse.com, said: "I just blocked that noise out because these guys have never played at this level and don’t know what we go through every day and how hard we work. And just for them to come out here and boo, that’s, you know, that’s very disrespectful."

There's a lot to unpack in George's quotes. Number one, it's understandable that fans would boo. Number two, it stinks for the players and the coaches to hear fans boo. Number three, fans pay good money to watch the product on the floor, so I don't know if it's disrespectful that fans were booing, but it's unfortunate.

Autry and his staff are well paid. Given direct revenue-sharing and third-party NIL deals, college athletes are also nicely compensated. So it comes with the territory that when the team is performing bad - and it's not just about this season, but many other recent campaigns - fans are going to bemoan that.

Now, I've made this distinction on many occasions. It's one thing to criticize a coach's coaching and a player's playing, but when fans or others personally attack coaches and players - saying truly disgusting and mean-spirited things on social media - that's completely inappropriate, ignorant and immature.

It's important to keep in mind that while the Orange's record (12-8 overall, 3-4 in the ACC) leaves much to be desired, the 'Cuse isn't getting pasted by opponents. Multiple losses have been by five points or fewer (or in overtime). Only two defeats - to Iowa State and Kansas in Las Vegas - have been by double-digits.

Senior center William Kyle III added, "Yeah, we hear that. We try and just stay locked in on the game through the boos and stuff like that. Obviously, it sucks to hear boos and stuff like that from the crowd. ... We just have to go out there and just play as hard as we can."

Autry noted that some level of "noise" will be there whether Syracuse basketball is winning or losing. He says that the players and the coaches will continue to fight. "There’s a lot more opportunities out there. The ACC provides us this year with more opportunities than we’ve had in the past, so there’s still a lot of basketball to be played. ... I think we can change this and turn this thing around. I know we can."

I'm rooting for you, Red, and the team.