The Athletic says Syracuse basketball had a 'slept-on offseason,' and here's why

Ahead of the 2025-26 season, is Syracuse basketball being slept on?

That sentiment is starting to grow, based on recent comments from several national writers as the upcoming campaign gets underway in fewer than a month's time. The Orange coaching staff did a terrific job with its off-season recruiting, landing a six-member transfer class that includes a trio of four-star prospects.

Combine that with the team's top two players in 2024-25 returning, and a five-member prep cycle that is in the top 20 nationwide, and the 'Cuse roster for the upcoming season, on paper, looks extremely promising.

Hence, why some pundits are higher on the Orange than the general industry consensus. Now, on the flip side, Syracuse basketball has missed four straight NCAA Tournaments. And in two years with head coach Adrian Autry at the helm, the 'Cuse is 34-31 overall.

As such, national and Atlantic Coast Conference observers not being entirely sold on Syracuse basketball in 2025-26 is understandable. In a recent piece, national writer Brendan Marks of The Athletic said, "the pieces are there for Cuse to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. Now Autry just has to prove he can coach this group to its potential."

Marks added that the Orange had "one of the most slept-on offseasons of any team in the country." This assessment is logical.

Syracuse basketball could be a sleeper team in the ACC and nationally.

The ACC's annual Tipoff event runs through Wednesday. When the league releases its preseason media poll soon, the 'Cuse is likely to be in the No. 8 to the No. 12 range, out of an 18-member conference. The USA Today Network, on Monday, had the Orange at No. 10.

However, Marks lists Syracuse basketball at No. 6. Ahead of the 'Cuse, in order, are Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, N.C. State and Virginia.

Certainly, there are questions and things to monitor about the Orange's 2025-26 roster. Point guard play, led by Georgia Tech transfer Naithan George, a junior, will be much better. The 'Cuse is deep in the backcourt and at small forward/power forward. How the team's center spot will fare remains to be seen.

Syracuse basketball should prove vastly more athletic this coming season as compared to 2024-25. Will the Orange be better on defense, in its shooting from beyond the arc, and in the turnover department? Rebounding is always a hot-button topic. How will the 'Cuse perform on the glass?

To reiterate, on paper, Syracuse basketball has a roster that could absolutely finish in the ACC's top six. But the Orange also has 11 new faces to the program, which is a lot. Will Autry and his assistants be able to coach them effectively and get this roster to operate as a cohesive unit?

Both the non-conference and ACC dockets include tough games, but they're also each manageable. Syracuse basketball could surprise some experts in 2025-26 and position itself for an NCAA Tournament invite for the first time since 2021.