Syracuse basketball's upset of Tennessee is most important win in Adrian Autry era

Syracuse basketball took a major step toward potentially hearing its name called on Selection Sunday in March of 2026 as the Orange stunned No. 13 Tennessee, 62-60, on Tuesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

The powerhouse Southeastern Conference thumped the Atlantic Coast Conference in their annual event, 14-2, last season. However, after the first day of this year's ACC/SEC Challenge, the ACC leads, 6-3. Heck yeah.

For Syracuse basketball (5-3 overall), the team's thrilling two-point win over the Volunteers (7-2 overall) is the most important triumph in third-year head coach Adrian Autry's tenure as the Orange's boss. Here's why.

Syracuse basketball picked up a massive conquest of No. 13 Tennessee on Tuesday evening.

The Orange's victory halted a three-game skid. The 'Cuse, last week, went to the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas and nearly upset highly ranked Houston. But Syracuse basketball fell in overtime, then lost to Kansas and top-15 Iowa State. The Orange looked deflated in the second half against the Cyclones, as Iowa State outscored the 'Cuse, 60-30.

What's more, sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman remains unavailable due to a lower-body injury. For the 'Cuse to knock off the Vols, one of the SEC's best teams that has reached the Elite Eight of the past two NCAA Tournaments, without Freeman is a tremendous confidence booster.

Additionally, Tennessee is No. 11 in the NCAA NET rankings, which means for the time being, the 'Cuse has a quadrant-one win for its post-season resume. Syracuse basketball, at the time of this writing, was No. 91 in the NET ratings. Following this victory, the Orange moved up to No. 63 overall via KenPom.

What's also critical about Tuesday's triumph is that it gives Syracuse basketball a huge non-conference win. The Orange has five non-conference games left, all at home, and none of those encounters are expected to be quad-one opportunities.

Assuming it wins all five, Syracuse basketball would sport a 10-3 record in the non-conference calendar, with one impressive victory and three losses, all to ranked teams, at a neutral site.

That's something the 'Cuse could build upon in ACC competition, as Syracuse basketball tries to return to the Big Dance for the first time since 2021. In February of 2024, an Autry-led squad did pick off No. 7 North Carolina on the Hill, but for my money, the Orange's stunning victory over the Vols is even bigger.

Syracuse basketball was excellent on the defensive end, held its own on the glass, led 24-10 in points off turnovers and had a 9-0 advantage in fast-break points. Sure, the Orange didn't shoot well from the field, the 3-point line or the free-throw line, but it did just enough to prevail over Tennessee.

Credit players such as redshirt senior small forward Nate Kingz, senior shooting guard J.J. Starling, senior center William Kyle III and freshman forward Sadiq White Jr. for turning in strong performances against the Volunteers. Oh, and with this result, the 'Cuse snapped a four-game setback streak to the Vols, and the Orange is now 4-5 in its all-time series with Tennessee.

Syracuse basketball has some time off to rest and regroup. The Orange will next host Saint Joseph's on Thursday, Dec. 11, at 9:00 pm EST, with coverage on the ACC Network.