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The Orange were able to snap the first four-game losing streak in the Adrian Autry era with a convincing wire-to-wire victory over Notre Dame on Saturday. Here are some of the takeaways:
Sometimes, defense needs to be a priority
There is no denying that the story of the game was the fact that Coach Autry started Sadiq White over Donnie Freeman, but I really believe that was a smart decision.
For Syracuse, defense has to come first, even if that means making uncomfortable lineup decisions. Starting White over Freeman isn’t a knock on Donnie’s talent, but it is an acknowledgment of what the team needs right now.
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White consistently brings better defensive effort and physicality, even if he has been committing a lot of fouls of late. That kind of defensive reliability matters, particularly early in games, when Syracuse has struggled to set the tone.
Until Syracuse proves it can survive defensively without sacrificing structure, prioritizing White’s defense over Freeman’s offensive potential is the right call.
When William Kyle is involved on offense, the team thrives
Syracuse is at its best when William Kyle is actively involved in the offensive game plan, and the Notre Dame matchup made that clear.
Kyle doesn’t need plays drawn up for him every possession, but when he gets consistent touches right under the rim, the offense becomes more balanced and effective.
He has been better from the free-throw line as well, and the gameplan should be for him to have double-digit points every single game, as he did against the Fighting Irish.
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Plus, even when Kyle isn’t scoring, his activity underneath the rim creates advantages that don’t always show up in the box score.
The ball moves more freely, possessions feel more purposeful, and Syracuse avoids settling for tough perimeter shots late in the clock.
Too often this season, Kyle has disappeared for long stretches offensively, and the offense has become stagnant as a result.
Just let Nate Kingz shoot
Nate Kingz has earned the green light to shoot whenever he is open.
Against Notre Dame, it was clear that he is Syracuse’s most reliable and confident shooter, and the offense benefits when he plays freely.
The thing with Kingz is that sometimes he refrains from shooting the ball, and his scoring only comes in spurts. That needs to change after once again surpassing his previous career high with 28 points last night.
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When he’s aggressive, he has been a problem for opposing defenses because while he’s shown he’s the best three-point shooter on the team, he also has been able to get to the rim off the dribble, which keeps defenders honest.
At the end of the day, even contested looks from Kingz are often better shots than late-clock attempts from others.
If Syracuse wants to maximize its offensive ceiling, the message should be simple: Nate Kingz needs to continue to let it fly.
What were your takeaways from the Orange’s bounce-back effort?
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