Syracuse basketball is inching closer to its season opener in November against LeMoyne College. After an offseason defined by turnover, there were plenty of new faces at media day on Friday. 

Eight players including Judah Mintz (NBA), Quadir Copeland (McNeese State) and Maliq Brown (Duke) are gone. Seven newcomers, four transfers and three freshman, are here. 

“For us to be successful, we have to play more guys," said second-year head coach Adrian Autry. "This is a very balanced team, a very competitive team, and I think the strength of this team will be in how many guys we can play.” 

The biggest difference is experience. A year ago, Syracuse had six upperclassman and two seniors. This year, they have 10, with seven players who are either seniors or grad students. It's something Autry looked for in the transfer portal as all four transfers are upperclassman. Eddie Lampkin Jr. (Colorado), Jaquan Carlos (Hofstra), Jyare Davis (Delaware) and Lucas Taylor (Georgia State) all averaged more than 10 PPG last season. Lampkin Jr. slots in as the starting center for the Orange, and after getting a taste of the NCAA Tournament last year with Colorado, he's focused on getting back. 

"I’m very excited," he said. "My main goal is to get back into the tournament with the team.”

Donnie Freeman highlights a group of three incoming freshman, alongside Petar Majstorovic and Elijah Moore. Freeman was the sixth ranked recruit in the 2024 class according to ESPN and is the highest Syracuse recruit since Carnelo Anthony. 

"Donnie is a unique talent in the way he can move, he can bang," said Autry. "But Donnie is very talented. He's really kind of figured out how to use his abilities against different different match ups so far in our gym. I've been impressed with his ability to respond to mistakes, to be able to respond to things and kind of get right back to it."

As he tries to find his footing with the Orange, he's adopted a new mindset thanks to some advice from his teammates. 

"You can’t control yesterday, you can’t control the future, but you can control right now," Freeman said. "You gotta take everyday step by step and let the chips fall where they may.” 

The Orange were voted to finish 11th in the ACC in the preseason poll. To be better than that, they're going to need big contributions from two key returners in J.J. Starling and Chris Bell. Bell's three-point prowess returns to the Dome after shooting 42% from downtown last year. Starling averaged 13 PPG in his first season with the Orange last year, and he is looking to take a step forward this season. 

"I’m excited for him to really kind of, you know, break out and have that big year that I think everyone expects," Autry said. "And this team needs it. We need him to play well this year for us to kind of, you know, be in the hunt for anything that we want to do." 

Starling finished last season strong. After he put up a season-high 26 points against NC State in late January, he averaged 16 PPG the rest of the way.

“My confidence level is just above what it was last year at this point," Starling said. "Obviously feeling better and feeling confident is the player I want to be.”

With a ton of new pieces and chemistry to build, this squad hopes it takes them back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years. 

“I know how to get back to the tournament," said Autry. "And that’s win enough games.”

The journey starts on Nov. 4.