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Syracuse opens its second season under head coach Adrian Autry with a bout versus Le Moyne at the JMA Wireless Dome Monday. SU underwent numerous changes over the offseason, as seven players, including Judah Mintz, Maliq Brown, Quadir Copeland and Justin Taylor, left the program.

Meanwhile, Autry brought in a slew of experience through the transfer portal and highly-touted freshmen Donnie Freeman and Elijah Moore. The new-look group is looking to take Syracuse to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021, the program’s longest drought since missing the tournament each year from 1967 to 1972.

Ahead of their first regular season, the Orange handily defeated Clarion and Slippery Rock in their exhibition games. SU relied on a balanced offensive attack, as four players scored in double figures against the Eagles while five notched 10 or more points against the Rock.

On the other hand, the Dolphins are entering their second season as a Division I program. Le Moyne was projected to finish in last place in its first year as a Northeast Conference member, but placed fourth in the conference with a 9-7 record.

Here’s everything you need to know before Syracuse’s (0-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) season-opener against Le Moyne (0-0, 0-0 NEC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 6-0.

Last time they played

Nearly two weeks after Barack Obama won the 2008 Presidential Election, SU cruised to an 85-51 win over Le Moyne at the Carrier Dome on Nov. 16. The Orange were spearheaded by a balanced attack with Paul Harris, Arinze Onuaku, Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins each scoring in double figures.

KenPom Odds

Syracuse has a 98% chance of winning, with a projected score of 87-64.

The Dolphins report

Entering its second D-I season, Le Moyne was picked to finish fourth in the NEC Preseason Poll. While the Dolphins lost their top two scorers from last year — Luke Sutherland (15.5 points per game) and Kaiyem Cleary (15.3) — they return a litany of key pieces, including fifth-year senior Darrick Jones Jr. They also added former Notre Dame and Mercer guard Robby Carmody from the transfer portal.

Dakota Dorsey | Design Editor

Much of Le Moyne’s 2023-24 offensive success came from behind the arc, as its 34.1% clip from 3 ranked 166th in the nation. Meanwhile, its 49.2% 2-point percentage placed 234th. With their tallest player this season being 6-foot-9 freshman forward Isaac Nyakundi, the Dolphins’ offensive identity should remain similar despite Sutherland and Cleary’s departures.

How Syracuse beats Le Moyne

Truthfully, Syracuse doesn’t have to do anything crazy to notch its first win of the season. Against a far inferior team, the Orange should cruise to victory so long as their offense doesn’t collapse and Le Moyne doesn’t have an inferno on the offensive end.

To best ensure this, SU should use its size to its advantage. Throwing the ball down low to Eddie Lampkin early should result in easy points and help open the rest of the offense. Additionally, Freeman’s athleticism will likely be too much for the Dolphins to contain and get Syracuse going early. Defensively, closing out on 3s and forcing Le Moyne to do its damage from inside the arc can give the Orange an advantage.

Stat to know: 110.2

Syracuse’s 110.2 beginning-of-season adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom, is the 42nd-best in the country. For comparison, SU’s 111.7 clip ranked 83rd in 2023-24. The main difference between this year’s roster and last year’s is balance.

More often than not, Mintz would dominate the ball while everyone else would play off him. This year, the Orange aren’t expected to play a similar style and instead rely on a group effort where anyone can star on any given night.

Player to watch: Darrick Jones Jr., guard, No. 1

Jones Jr. is the Seawolves’ returning leading scorer, averaging 8.5 points per game while nailing 40.4% of his 3-pointers on 3.5 attempts a contest. The 6-foot-5 guard began his collegiate career at Towson, where he was a reserve player for two seasons. Throughout his time with the Tigers, the guard dealt with an irregular heartbeat.

Following his sophomore year, Jones Jr. transferred to Le Moyne, where he had a career-best season as a senior. Jones Jr. was named to the 2024-25 NEC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team.

Published on November 3, 2024 at 10:48 pm

Contact Justin: justingirshon@gmail.com | @JustinGirshon