Syracuse Basketball: Through 5 games, the Orange's bright spots and areas of concern

As Syracuse basketball prepares to host long-time local foe Cornell at the JMA Wireless Dome on Wednesday night, the Orange sits at 3-2 overall.

The 'Cuse has a trio of home wins, by a combined 15 points, against three mid-major programs. On the flip side, the Orange has two losses, both against power-conference squads, by a combined nine points at a neutral site.

Without question, Syracuse basketball's 2024-25 roster has a lot of work to do if the 'Cuse, led by second-year head coach Adrian Autry, wants to return to the NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence from the annual March Madness.

But to me, not all is doom and gloom for the Orange five games into the current campaign. There are bright spots, and there are areas where the 'Cuse needs to improve. Let's examine.

The good, and not-so-good, for Syracuse basketball so far in the 2024-25 season.

Rebounding - yes, I said rebounding
Often a hot-button topic among fans, at least in recent years, is how the Orange has fared on the boards. It's early in 2024-25, but to date, this is a solid facet for Syracuse basketball. Per SU Athletics, the 'Cuse is averaging 42.0 rebounds per game, and the team is out-rebounding its opponents by 8.4 boards per contest. Now, let's see how the Orange performs as the competition continues to intensify, especially in the heart of Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Scoring, and a slim margin
On the face of it, Syracuse basketball averaging 80.8 points per affair isn't too shabby. However, the 'Cuse is allowing a whopping 79.6 points per meeting, which is a problem.

For the most part, shooting woes
From the field as a whole, the Orange and its foes are both connecting on 45.2 percent. But the 'Cuse is only making 25.7 percent from deep, as compared to 32.0 percent for its opponents. Besides the poor 3-point shooting for Syracuse basketball, the team is also hitting on about two fewer 3-pointers per game than its foes. The Orange is getting to the free-throw line more than its counterparts, but Syracuse basketball is 66.7 percent there versus 75.8 percent for its opponents.

Oh, the turnovers
Autry wants to play fast, and a key for the 'Cuse is to force turnovers and get easy buckets out in transition, particularly if Syracuse basketball isn't shooting well from the field when in half-court sets. The dilemma is that the Orange is committing 10.4 turnovers per game, 1.2 more than its opponents. The 'Cuse is averaging 11.8 points off turnovers per affair, but its foes are averaging 15.4 points off turnovers per game.

Other statistical categories
Through five games, in total assists, Syracuse basketball is plus-11. In total blocks, the Orange is plus-two. Yet in total steals, the 'Cuse is minus-16.