The last three weeks have been something of a dream for Adrian Autry.

“It’s kind of surreal," Autry said. "Roller coaster moments. Up and down. A lot going on, trying to retain and move forward, but it’s all been good stuff. I think I was prepared, as much as I can be for something like this.”

Taking over a program with the history Syracuse has is never easy. It starts with his coaching staff. Bringing back Gary McNamara and Allen Griffin were important to keeping the continuity going.

“I think it made my transition a lot easier, so to speak," Autry said. "They know me, they know how I work. They understand what needs to be done, they understand Syracuse and understand the players. We’ve worked closely together for so many years and obviously closely together with these players, so it was imperative to have people that I know, one, are the best in the business, to keep them here to start this new era. It was very important. It was the first order of business."

But through it all, his focus is on the roster. Syracuse has already seen star point guard Judah Mintz enter his name into the NBA Draft while keeping his college eligibility, and Joe Girard did the same, but also entered the transfer portal. Autry has already added former Baldwinsville standout JJ Starling to the roster through the portal. He’s been active on the recruiting trail and has kept the current roster mostly intact.

“Everyone is back that is not in the portal," Autry said. "We’re excited. We’re working hard, they’re showing up every day. Obviously, things can change at anytime but as of right now, we have everyone back that is supposed to be here. I think once you get your roster solidified, you really try to incorporate and build on the things you want your team to play and reflect. But it’s not always on the court, it’s off the court. You’re setting your standards, your values and the core, and I think that takes a month or so to get that implemented. And then moving forward and trying to get the team prepared offensively, defensively. Trying to create the team's identity, create the programs identity. Think that probably encompasses more than 100 days.”

For nearly five decades, SU’s identity has been the 2-3 zone. But Autry was non-committal on what defense he will play, saying he will play the defense that give his team the best chance to win. But the standard Jim Boeheim set will not change.

“The standard has been set high, you know, I’m coming behind a Hall of Famer," Autry said. "I think successes is different. But for us, you know, we expect to win at a high level because that's the bottom line. You know, expecting to win at a high level because getting to the tournament, competing for regular season championships and tournament championships, that's the standard. And that's what, you know, that's what winning looks like to me.”

It’s an endless grind. We’ll have more with Autry on what it means to coach his alma mater and what it means to have Jim Boeheim as a mentor coming on Tuesday.