It was a defensive masterclass from Syracuse men’s basketball (1-0, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) in its win over Binghamton on Monday. SU gave up just 47 points, its lowest total allowed on an opening night since 2018. Now, the Orange are tasked with Delaware State (0-1, 0-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).
“We really exemplified what our summer looked like in terms of defending and playing with energy,” SU head coach Adrian Autry said. “Every one of those guys who came to play gassed out and gave 100% effort… It was fun for me to watch as a coach.”
Autry made sure to emphasize the importance of defense for this year’s squad.
“We won’t let our offense dictate if we win or not, that’s not going to happen,” he said.
Now it’s up to Syracuse to sustain this defensive flow. The Orange were the worst defense in the ACC last year, allowing over 77 points a game. Autry said freshmen like Kiyan Anthony helped make a big impact on that side of the ball.
In his long-awaited @Cuse_MBB debut, guard Kiyan Anthony has lived up to the hype.@Dellie_5 illustrated the freshman's jumper.
— WAER Sports (@WAERSports) November 4, 2025
📻@waer883, https://t.co/BG0Q3sGq3P pic.twitter.com/u88nQAFMHN
“He gave a lot of energy,” Autry said. “He moved, made the right rotations. I was really pleased with what I saw from Kiyan on both sides of the ball tonight.”
And defense is still the focus going into the game with Delaware State. SU center William Kyle III wants to continue this style of play.
“We’re going to focus on defense for sure,” Kyle said. “I feel like when our defense is good and getting kills, then good things happen on the offensive end.”
Can the Orange keep up the defensive play in game number two against Delaware State? Find out at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Tune into WAER’s McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 12:30.