Syracuse men’s basketball returns to action Monday night, when it hosts New Hampshire in its first non-exhibition game since losing to Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in March. That, of course, was Jim Boeheim’s final game after 47 years as SU head coach; Syracuse announced the promotion of associate head coach Adrian Autry to replace Boeheim hours after the loss.

Autry had an eventful first offseason as head coach. Syracuse added four transfers, headlined by former five-star recruit and Baldwinsville native J.J. Starling, and also secured the return of several key contributors from last year’s team, including guard Judah Mintz.


What You Need To Know

  • Syracuse men's basketball begins its season Monday night against New Hampshire 

  • Adrian Autry, a former SU point guard and assistant coach, has taken over for Jim Boeheim as head coach

  • Syracuse returns several key players, including Judah Mintz, and also added four transfers in the offseason 

Autry and the Orange, though, face a difficult schedule, and they were picked to finish 10th out of 15 ACC teams. SU is looking to avoid going three straight years without playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Here are five things to watch for as Syracuse begins the Autry era Monday night.

Autry ushers in new era as head coach

This offseason marked the first time the program underwent a coaching transition since Boeheim took over in 1976. Autry had been Boeheim’s top assistant since 2016 and played point guard for him from 1990-94. He later had stops as an assistant coach at two high schools in Northern Virginia and was an assistant at Virginia Tech for three seasons. This season will be his first as a head coach.  

Autry is known within the program for the close relationships he develops with players and recruits, and also for his work developing forwards. Under Autry, Syracuse is expected to lean heavily on man-to-man defense — in stark contrast to Boeheim’s reliance on the 2-3 zone — and will likely pay at a faster pace.

Coach Adrian Autry was Jim Boeheim's top assistant since 2016, and now begins a new era for Syracuse men's basketball. (AP Photo/Nick Lisi)

New faces and a new-look lineup

Syracuse lost two starters, Joe Girard III and Jesse Edwards, to the transfer portal after last season, but added four new players. Starling, who averaged 11.2 points per game in his one season at Notre Dame, is the headliner, and is expected to man the backcourt alongside Mintz. Starling grew up in Baldwinsville and played for two seasons at Baker High School, breaking the school’s scoring record as a sophomore.  

The loss of Edwards — the team’s leading rebounder and third-best scorer last season — is mitigated by the addition of 7-foot-4 Florida State transfer Naheem McLeod, the tallest player in SU history. 

The Orange also added Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Chance Westry from Kansas and Auburn, respectively. Westry, though, is expected to miss at least the early stretch of the season with a leg injury.

JJ Starling will wear Orange for his hometown team this season after transferring from ACC foe Notre Dame. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina)

Mintz headlines deep roster

Mintz, the team’s second-leading scorer at over 16 points per game, opted to return to Syracuse for a sophomore season instead of entering the NBA Draft. He earned preseason second-team All-ACC honors, the only Syracuse selection.  

Syracuse also returns starting forwards Benny Williams and Chris Bell, along with key reserves Maliq Brown, Justin Taylor and Qadir Copeland. Autry was able to retain the entirety of last year’s recruiting class, which ranked in the top 25 nationally, according to the recruiting site 247Sports.  

Challenging schedule awaits

SU’s schedule — particularly the nonconference slate — will be a significant test. The Orange play in the Maui Invitational in November for the first time in 10 years and will face No. 9 Tennesse and either No. 3 Purdue or No. 11 Gonzaga in its first two games. There’s also a battle against Oregon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and other games versus Colgate and Georgetown have proved challenging in recent years, too.  

Syracuse has early conference road tests against Virginia (Dec. 2) and No. 2 Duke (Jan. 2). There are also two games against No. 19 North Carolina and a home tilt versus No. 13 Miami, which played in last year’s Final Four.

North Carolina will be just one of several ranked ACC team that will pose a challenge for the Orange this season as they look to get back to the NCAA Tournament. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Also of note: Girard, now with Clemson, makes his return to the JMA Wireless Dome on Feb. 10.  

Preseason expectations

Syracuse was picked to finish in the bottom third of the ACC this season, which leaves it outside the NCAA Tournament picture as the season begins. Duke, Miami and North Carolina are the preseason favorites to win the ACC, with the Blue Devils receiving the most preseason first-place votes.  

Autry, though, has helped bring some of the energy around the program back after the recent down stretch under Boeheim. That has made its way to players, too.  

"We're focused. We're angry. I'm angry. Just being deemed as a lower team, lower tier than what Syracuse is used to being," Mintz said at ACC Media Day last week. "We want to get right back to where we were in the Big East.”