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Adrian Autry knows better than anyone that this isn’t the season anyone wanted for Syracuse. He didn’t want it. Players didn’t want it. Fans especially didn’t want it. It’s a season that’s lacked consistency and been devoid of positive results. Every time the Orange took a step forward, it felt like the next game, they took two steps back, which led to the program’s worst regular season finish since joining a conference 46 years ago.
Though Autry didn’t hesitate to point out, it could’ve been worse. It might sound ridiculous under the circumstances, but the second-year head coach was staunch in defense of his team. At multiple points in the regular season, he felt they could’ve laid down and gave up. It might not have always garnered the most positive results, but Autry was never dissatisfied with his team’s effort.
“Not once did I think that they packed it in,” Autry said.
That was evident in Syracuse’s (13-18, 7-13 Atlantic Coast) 84-70 win over Virginia (15-16, 8-12 Atlantic Coast), closing out the regular season in dominant fashion. In the big picture, Saturday’s game was meaningless. Before tip-off, Syracuse and Virginia were locked into the 14th and 9th seeds for the ACC Tournament, but the Orange still wanted to take care of business. They did so behind a masterful 25-point performance from Eddie Lampkin Jr. on 11-of-12 shooting while holding UVA to 3-of-15 from 3-point range. Now, Syracuse sets its eyes on Charlotte and a first-round matchup with 11th-seeded Florida State on Tuesday.
This season hasn’t been easy for Syracuse, especially in the past month, where it blew three double-digit second-half leads in three straight road games. The first came against Pitt on Feb. 18, where SU led by as many as 16 in the first half and 11 in the second. Its next road game, it blew a 13-point lead to Virginia Tech before a few days later, losing a 12-point advantage to Southern Methodist.
The capitulations continued the season-long questions of whether Autry was the right man for the job. That was shut down on Thursday when Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack confirmed Autry would come back for a third year.
Among Autry’s players, the support is steadfast. Some, like Lampkin, didn’t even know of Wildhack’s comments. Others like Jaquan Carlos took the blame for Syracuse’s poor play this season.
“When (Autry) gets a lot of blame, I think that’s just how the world works,” Carlos said. “At the end of the day, (Autry) can’t go out there and play for us. (Autry) can’t go out there and turn the ball over for us. Red can’t go out there and make shots for us.”
The trials and tribulations could be put behind Syracuse if it finds some March magic in Charlotte next week. It’s unlikely since the Orange have to win the ACC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, NC State accomplished that feat and ended up making the Final Four. It’s hard to make comparisons at this point, yet performances like Saturday are a building block.
The Orange played a complete 40 minutes, leading by as many as 19 points in the first half. Their 43-26 halftime lead tied their largest of the season. That dominance continued into the second, leading by 20 at one point. Every time UVA went on a mini-run to try and creep back into the game, Syracuse answered. SU’s lead only shrunk to 14, but never anything closer.
Isaac McKneely, UVA’s leading scorer and the second-best 3-point shooter in the ACC, was held to three field goals and one 3. Without McKneely getting hot, UVA’s offense lacked firepower, and the Orange prevented any potential collapse before it got started.
There was sentiment in the locker room postgame that this kind of play could be continued. In previous contests, Syracuse let a five-minute stretch dictate the entire outcome. This time was different.
“That just shows us that if we play the right way and finish the right way, we could beat anybody,” Carlos said.
Carlos added that’s been the message from Autry all season long. He’s tried to instill that mindset, which the Orange will need in the ACC Tournament, where a loss ends their season.
Syracuse’s fate is contingent on its performance in Charlotte. Lucas Taylor — who tied a season-high four 3-pointers and scored 15 points — among others in the locker room aren’t shying away from the idea of making a run. The ACC isn’t exactly the most elite conference in the country and teams are there from the taking.
“If we lose, we’re done. I don’t think any of us want to do that,” point guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. said.
Taylor added that most of Syracuse’s roster is made of upperclassmen and it’s helped it stay resilient this season. Though Lampkin is the only player with NCAA Tournament experience, Jyáre Davis, Carlos, J.J. Starling and others have plenty of games under their belts to help SU this time of year.
For now, that can only be treated as pure speculation. Syracuse hasn’t won two games in a row since early January. The Orange haven’t played much winning basketball this season. They’re now tasked with winning five games in five days to keep their season alive.
March is known for wild storylines and shocking results. Time will only tell if Syracuse can put their name in the headlines with an improbable run or be remembered as one of the least successful SU teams ever.
“It’s a new season coming up, 0-0, and anything can happen,” Cuffe said.
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