Syracuse basketball wrapped up its non-conference calendar this past Monday night, blowing out Stonehill to finish at 9-4 overall.
The Orange is now in its holiday break, with the 'Cuse next suiting up against Clemson on New Year's Eve at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse basketball's Atlantic Coast Conference opener in the 2025-26 campaign.
So how did the Orange do in the non-conference? A mixed bag. Some good. Some bad. Some ugly. Cautious optimism for what lies ahead, but a dose of skepticism, too. Let's get into this a bit more.
Analyzing Syracuse basketball's performance in the non-conference docket.
The Good
William Kyle lll
The senior center, a transfer from UCLA, has been terrific. He's averaging 28.6 minutes, 10.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while hitting on 68.4 percent from the field. Kyle is No. 2 nationally in blocks per contest, and he's No. 10 in the ACC in boards per encounter.
Naithan George's recent play
George, the Orange's starting point guard who transferred in from Georgia Tech, has averaged 22 points per game over the past two contests, with a combined nine assists and just two turnovers. He's No. 10 in the ACC in assists per contest. George is also making 81.0 percent from the free-throw line, good for No. 12 in the conference.
J.J. Starling's 3-point shooting
Starling, the senior shooting guard, scored 20 points in the Orange's recent win over Stonehill. He's also making 35.1 percent from beyond the arc. Considering that he only hit on 26.8 percent from deep last year, and the team is connecting on just 30.8 percent so far in 2025-26, Starling's 3-point shooting is an encouraging sign.
Bench scoring
Key reserves for the 'Cuse are producing. Freshman shooting guard Kiyan Anthony averages 10.9 points per game. Sophomore forward Tyler Betsey contributes 8.1 points. Freshman forward Sadiq White Jr. has been starting lately due to Donnie Freeman's absence, but with Freeman coming back soon, White will likely come off the bench. He's averaging 7.9 points per affair.
The Orange's defense
In 2024-25, the 'Cuse defense was porous, allowing 77.8 points per game. The script has flipped this season, with Syracuse basketball giving up 64.8 points per encounter. That's No. 26 nationally. The Orange's opponents are making 39.0 percent from the field, putting the 'Cuse at No. 27 overall in this statistical category.
Turnovers and a block party
By and large, Syracuse basketball is taking pretty good care of the ball. The Orange averages 10.7 turnovers per game, as compared to 14.5 miscues for its foes. Points off turnovers are a critical metric for the 'Cuse, as it scores better than five points more per contest than its opponents off turnovers (17.5 versus 12.1). The Orange is also No. 1 in the ACC and No. 2 nationwide in blocks per affair, at 7.2.
A quad-one win (almost two)
Syracuse basketball's top triumph in the non-conference came by two points at home over Tennessee in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Volunteers are No. 25 in the NCAA NET rankings, making this a quadrant-one victory for the Orange. During the Thanksgiving break at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, the 'Cuse took highly rated Houston to overtime, falling by four points. That stung, as the Cougars are No. 14 in the NET, and a win there would have provided Syracuse basketball with a second victory in quad one.
The Not-So-Good
Let's just get this out of the way
The one-point setback to Hofstra on the Hill earlier this month was rough. If the Orange is on the NCAA Tournament bubble later this season, that loss could haunt the 'Cuse, as Hofstra is No. 84 in the NET.
The second half against Iowa State
At the Players Era Festival, the Orange played three excellent teams in three days - Houston, Kansas and Iowa State. The 'Cuse nearly upset the Cougars and hung relatively close with the Jayhawks. Syracuse basketball only trailed the Cyclones by one point at the half, but Iowa State blasted the Orange in the second half, 60-30, to win by a final score of 95-64. Even though the 'Cuse went 0-3 in Vegas, it would have felt a lot less yucky if Syracuse basketball could have played Iowa State close in that third game. The Orange simply ran out of gas.
Free throws, free throws, free throws
Syracuse basketball is making just 59.0 percent from the charity stripe, which is last in the country. That's a problem. Poor free-throw shooting cost the Orange in its losses to Houston and Hofstra. An 11-2 record in the non-conference feels a lot different than 9-4. It's not just big men who struggle from the line. It's several of the team's guards. As Syracuse basketball goes through its 18-game ACC schedule, if it doesn't improve its free-throw shooting, that could cost the squad a few more games.
The glass and downtown
The Orange is getting out-rebounded, and that's a concern. The 'Cuse averages 36.5 boards per game, while its foes corral 37.3 rebounds per contest. As part of that, even against inferior competition, Syracuse basketball is allowing its opponents to garner a lot of offensive rebounds, which can translate to second-chance points. Beyond the arc, the Orange is hitting on 30.8 percent. Of the team's main rotational players, Starling has the highest 3-point shooting percentage. That's a surprise.
A big injury
Freeman, the sophomore power forward, was leading the 'Cuse in scoring, at 17.8 points per game, through the Orange's first four contests. But he hasn't played since due to a lower-body injury. Syracuse basketball expects Freeman to make his return on December 31 at home against Clemson. The Orange, minus Freeman, has shown it can do good things, but the team has also played poorly in stretches. Getting Freeman back is important.
Playing "down" to the competition
Beyond the Hofstra loss, the 'Cuse also failed to blow out several other foes that it really needed to for its possible postseason resume. A five-point win over Monmouth, Saint Joseph's (eight points), Mercyhurst (14 points) and Northeastern (eight points) come to mind. No disrespect to those teams, but Syracuse basketball should have won every one of those encounters, at home, by at least 20 points.
Sub-par metrics - so far
Currently, the 'Cuse is No. 88 in the NET. That's not good. The Orange has a quad-one win, three quad-one losses, a quad-three setback and an 8-0 record in quad four. Syracuse basketball has plenty of opportunities coming up in ACC play to notch quad-one and quad-two triumphs, but the 'Cuse has to win these tough games. Over at KenPom, Syracuse basketball is No. 78 overall, No. 105 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 64 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Orange's strength of schedule rating is No. 302. The only realistic way that Syracuse basketball can enter the NCAA Tournament conversation is to decisively beat up on so-so ACC foes and also pick up a few marquee wins against tougher league competition.