After almost two weeks on the road, Syracuse men’s basketball (4-4, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) returns home to take on UAlbany (6-4, 0-0 America East Conference). It’s a chance for the Orange to get their season back on track, after back to back losses. That includes Saturday’s 69-64 loss to Notre Dame where SU did not make a single three. For Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry, this poor showing impacted his decision-making late in the game.
“We’re not shooting the ball well,” Autry said after Saturday’s loss. “A lot of things you would hope you’d have, you have to adjust and go game-by-game now.”
The trend of poor shooting continued for @Cuse_MBB. For the first time in a decade, the Orange didn't hit a three over the course of an entire contest.@SamuelReisTV, @alexremoll and @GriffinMarcy1 break down SU's struggles from beyond the arc and at the line.
— WAER Sports Talk (@WAERSportsTalk) December 7, 2024
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Tuesday’s contest against the Great Danes forces the Orange to improve on their three-point shooting. UAlbany makes over 35 percent of their shots from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Syracuse’s mark of over 25 percent places it in the bottom ten nationwide for three point shooting.

Another option for Syracuse could be found inside the paint. Forward Donnie Freeman led the team in scoring on Saturday with 20 points. This gave the freshman a key feeling going forward.
“Confidence,” Freeman said. “Going into a game and being aggressive and letting the shots fall when they make.”
Freeman, along with the rest of Syracuse’s frontcourt, could be in for a good day against UAlbany. The Great Danes are the shortest team in the America East Conference, with an average height of 6-foot-2-inches. That includes the tallest starter for UAlbany being 6-foot-8-inches. Meanwhile, Syracuse has two starters - Donnie Freeman and Eddie Lampkin - standing above 6-foot-9-inches.
For Autry, using this height advantage going forward could present an opportunity for the Orange to get their shooting back on track.
“I think we got enough inside penetration until we can get that outside shooting again,” Autry said.
For Syracuse, this matchup against UAlbany is also the second-to-last game against midmajor opposition. While SU is undefeated in these games, the largest margin of victory is just ten points. The Great Danes and the Orange begin action at 7:00 p.m. WAER’s coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. with Countdown to Tipoff.