Nobody knew how things would start out for Syracuse men's basketball (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) after a lackluster 14-19 campaign last year missing the NCAA tournament for a fourth straight year. Yet, the Orange showed up, cruising to a 85-47 over Binghamton (0-1, 0-0 America East Conference) on opening night in the Dome.
In its first game of the 2025-26 season, @Cuse_MBB left no doubt against @BinghamtonMBB in an 85-47 win.@SokolskyJish and @Dellie_5 had the call from the JMA Wireless Dome. pic.twitter.com/cAzYHs3JAu
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) November 4, 2025
It was a true wire-to-wire performance for SU, with five different players hitting double figures. Offense wasn’t the only story though, with the defense limiting a team to under 50 points for the first time in three years. Safe to say head coach Adrian Autry was pleased.
“This exemplified what our summer looked like, sharing the basketball and. playing for a full 40 minutes.”
The Orange started hot out of the gate, going on a 10-0 run to open the game. Yet in that time, SU had a scare. Star guard JJ Starling left the game with an apparent leg injury nearly three minutes into the game. The senior headed to the locker room limping with the training staff before coming back to the bench. Starling did not play the rest of the contest, however Autry had good news after the game regarding his status.
“JJ will be fine, lower leg injury. He will be fine..If it was something serious then I would probably know by now.”
With Starling off the floor, freshman Kiyan Anthony saw increased playing time and took full advantage. The guard made it feel like 2003, dropping 15 points with three assists and three rebounds. Even Anthony himself acknowledged the similarities to his father in his Orange debut.
“It’s something I work on. That was his shot, he passed it down to me and I work on it almost everyday in the gym.”
Autry was also satisfied with the freshman’s debut, “I was very pleased with Kiyan on the way he played on both ends of the floor tonight.”
It wasn't all glamorous for Syracuse on offense though. SU shot just 4-21 from beyond the arc. That's the worst percentage for the Orange since the first round of the ACC tournament last year when SU went 14% from three. Yet, Red isn’t concerned.
“The way we are going to win is not about how many threes we are going to make… We are going to take good shots. That's it.”
On the other side of the floor, Syracuse’s defense put on arguably its best performance in the Autry era. The Orange let up just 14 first-half points. That was the fewest in an opening 20-minutes in five years. It wasn’t just the first half though. SU held the Bearcats to under 35-percent shooting and just one three pointer the whole game. Autry was especially pleased with UCLA transfer William Kyle in his debut on the defensive side.
“Will is an exceptional defender and athlete but he has more to his game than what I think people give him credit for.” While the 6-foot-9 big man controlled the paint with five boards, he also added 16 points on the offensive end.
Syracuse’s attention now shifts to Delaware State on Saturday. The Hornets finished 16-14 last year, third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The clash marks the first time ever the two sides have played. Coverage on WAER gets rolling at 12:30 with McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tip-Off. Game time is set for 1:00.