After a pair of consecutive conference victories, the optimism surrounding Syracuse men’s basketball (8-9, 2-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) took a sharp downturn following its 24-point home loss to Louisville (13-5, 6-1 ACC).
After winning back-to-back games in conference play, @Cuse_MBB fell to @LouisvilleMBB 85-61.@TylerJAitken and @JLeonard1013 had the call from the JMA Wireless Dome. pic.twitter.com/gaGlSXwpOA
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 15, 2025
The blowout marked Syracuse’s largest home defeat since 2022, a discouraging result for head coach Adrian Autry in a game where the Orange had an opportunity to post a winning record for the time in over a month.
“It’s always disappointing to be under .500,” Autry said. “We have to get better.”
Despite the bleak atmosphere at the JMA Wireless Dome, the game didn’t start off that way for SU.
How the Dome is looking just after tip time (if you are wondering about the green shirts it's a promotion from National Grid for green energy). pic.twitter.com/mHpiO7QSL2
— Brent Axe (@BrentAxeMedia) January 15, 2025
The ‘Cuse jumped out to a brief lead, but missed chances by the Orange, combined with high-flying plays by the Cardinals, put Syracuse down 16 points at the break.
Once @LouisvilleMBB forward Noah Waterman checked in, the senior made an immediate impact.@TylerJAitken had the call for Waterman's electrifying slam.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 15, 2025
📻@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGXTn pic.twitter.com/tvorRYil6g
“I thought we had some opportunities early,” said Adrian Autry. “We had a couple of open threes. We had a couple of drives that we did not finish. A couple of loose balls that we did not get that [Louisville] turned into points. I thought that was the difference. That started the separation.”
In his analysis, Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry failed to mention the lack of production from his top scorer. After 20 minutes, guard JJ Starling was scoreless. The junior finished the contest with a season-worst four points.
“This is the first I felt like I personally got punked, so I don't want to ever have this feeling ever again,” Starling said.
“[Louisville] did a great job on JJ,” Autry added later. “If JJ scores four points, we are going to have a tough time to win.”
It was not just Starling who struggled in the loss. Only three Syracuse players reached double figures as the squad was squandered for most of the second half. Forward Chris Bell led the ‘Cuse with 18 points, a stark difference from his Saturday outing where he failed to make a shot from the floor. However, there is no silver lining in this performance for the junior.
Coming off the bench lit a spark for @Cuse_MBB forward Chris Bell who has knocked down three triples. @JLeonard1013 illustrated Bell's second deep ball in the closing half.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) January 15, 2025
📻@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGXTn pic.twitter.com/rrJKkgabXD
“This isn’t Syracuse basketball,” Bell simply put it.
The Orange have now lost by an average of approximately 21 points to opponents ranked in the top 30 of the KenPom rankings. Even worse, Syracuse is still seeking its first win over a top-100 team.
The Orange can bounce back from their worst loss to the Cardinals since 2020 by ending that streak Saturday when Notre Dame visits the Dome. The Fighting Irish rank 75th in KenPom. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m., with WAER’s coverage beginning at 3:30 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff.