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Syracuse opens its 2024-25 college basketball season determined to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament after falling short the previous year. Second-year coach Adrian Autry parades a competitive 14-man roster seeking to improve on its 20-12 record and capture the elusive bid to March Madness.
Here's a deeper look into the Orange's 2024-25 campaign from its biggest games to the players to watch out for this season.
Syracuse's biggest games of the 2024-25 season
Syracuse starts the new season with a home game against Le Moyne on Nov. 4 at the JMA Wireless Dome. The Orange own a 6-0 lead in their all-time head-to-head against the Dolphins, who went 15-17 overall last year.
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Adrian Autry and his men will also compete in the four-team Legends Classic and is paired with Texas. The Orange-Longhorns tussle is set on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. ET with ESPN2 covering the match on live television.
The other pairing pits Texas Tech and Saint Joseph. The winner of the first and second game will clash in the championship, while the losers battle for third on Nov. 22.
Syracuse also calendared its 100th all-time meeting with Georgetown this season. The game is set on Dec. 14 at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, with the Orange leading the head-to-head series, 54-45.
A week later, the team heads to Brooklyn's Barclays Center for a clash with Maryland in the 2024 Gotham Classic. The Terrapins hold a 5-4 lead in its head-to-head against the Orange, who won the two team's last meeting at Maryland on Nov. 17, 2017.
Syracuse is set to play 20 games against fellow ACC teams beginning in Jan. 2025. The Orange will play Boston College, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame in a home and away format before hosting Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Wake Forest. They also visit California, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, SMU, Stanford and Virginia Tech.
Top Syracuse players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season
Unlike other coaches, Syracuse coach Adrian Autry was fortunate to have eight of his players returning for another year. These include two of the team's top four scorers from last season, who are expected to carry the program's offfense in the upcoming ACC regular season.
The intact core may have led a five-star freshman forward to choose the Orange over a ton of suitors. Here are the top three Syracuse players fans should keep an eye on this coming season.
#1 JJ Starling
JJ Starling is coming off a great sophomore season with Syracuse, averaging 13.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The six-foot-four transfer out of Notre Dame improved on his field goal clip from 42.1% to 45.8%.
Starling is expected to be the team's top backcourt scoring option although he will be given the go-signal to call for some plays for the team time and again.
#2 Chris Bell
Chris Bell almost doubled his point average this season, tallying 12.0 points on 43.4% shooting from the field and 84.2% from the free throw line.
The six-foot-seven forward also played more minutes (27.1 minutes per game) and improved on his non-scoring stats (2.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 blocks and 0.6 steals per game) for Syracuse last season.
He'd likely share the touches with five-star forward Donnie Freeman, who is seen as the next big thing in Orange basketball.
#3 Donnie Freeman
Donnie Freeman is a consensus five-star forward and is ranked the second-best power forward in the nation and 15th overall.
The Bahamas-born power forward previously played for St. John's College High School, where he averaged 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a junior before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his senior year.
Predictions for Syracuse's 2024-25 season
Syracuse is expected to improve on its 20-12 record in the 2023-24 season with some key additions to its roster. It could force some surprises during the regular season, especially in the early part of the tournament, where other teams are still adjusting to their new teammates.
The Orange could win around 22-24 games this coming season if coach Adrian Autry finds the best mix of players to compete in the ACC regular season. The win-record could be enough for the team to be given an NCAA Tournament bid as an at-large entry.
Will Syracuse make the 2025 NCAA Tournament? Let's know your views in the comments section:
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