When Adrian Autry took over as head basketball coach for the Syracuse Orange, everyone knew that filling the shoes of the legendary Jim Boeheim would be a serious challenge. Despite this, many fans thought that Autry would be making more progress in his second year at the helm.
With the Orange slumping to a 5-6 record and coming off two crucial losses, a devastating result at home against the rival Georgetown Hoyas and a heavy defeat versus the Maryland Terrapins, many fans are already starting to lose patience and call for Autry to be fired. The question is, how much of Syracuse’s struggles lie at the feet of the head coach?
Syracuse Has Faced Significant Roster and Personnel Challenges
Despite the sub-.500 record that included several ugly results, it is important to note the severity of the roster turnover that Syracuse is dealing with. With last year’s leading scorer Judah Mintz making the leap to the professional ranks, former starters Justin Taylor and Maliq Brown departing in the transfer portal, and other key rotation players, namely Quadir Copeland and Benny Williams, also transferring, the Cuse are missing over 60% of their scoring and minutes from last season. Few teams are dealing with replacing so much production.
These numbers are even worse when factoring in an injury to this year’s top player, JJ Starling. After beginning the season averaging close to 20 points per contest, a broken left hand has kept him out of the last several contests. With Starling due to be sidelined for multiple more weeks, Syracuse finds itself struggling to adapt to his absence. Considering these factors, perhaps Autry deserves some grace despite the struggles.
As it turns out, Autry’s predecessor, the great Jim Boeheim, would agree. The legend himself weighed in via the Orange Nation Radio Show on ESPN Syracuse. He urged fans to be patient, highlighting several factors that have led to Syracuse’s subpar start. After acknowledging the dramatic roster turnover, Boeheim pointed to Starling’s injury as well as the considerable dip in production from Syracuse’s other key returning player Chris Bell. Hugely relied upon for his perimeter scoring, Bell’s shooting slump has contributed to the Orange being one of the worst three-point shooting teams in college basketball. Boeheim suggested these many factors were more to blame than Autry’s coaching abilities.
I just think it’s asking a lot of Coach Autry… I mean you just can’t lose your best player like that.
Rick Barnes Speaks on Adrian Autry’s Progress and Future
Clearly, Boeheim feels that Autry is doing what he can in a tough situation. Boeheim’s backing is not the only positive backing Autry has received. After the high-profile matchup against Tennessee, Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes declared that “They’ve got the right guy there” when speaking on how Autry has handled his team in his second season in charge.
Tennessee’s Rick Barnes on Adrian Autry and the struggling Orange: ‘They’ve got the right guy there’ https://t.co/4S6aAKNGCh pic.twitter.com/MjZ71Qej3y
— Syracuse Basketball (@syrbasketball) December 5, 2024
Barnes was complimentary of Autry’s gameplan as well as the way Syracuse guarded throughout the game, finishing by saying he believes that Autry is “going to get the job done, there’s no question in my mind.” Coming from a coach who has won over 800 games, such praise is certainly a credible endorsement.
Perhaps the most notable takeaway from Barnes’ remarks were his opinions on how long it takes college coaches to find their footing. Barnes repeatedly mentioned needing five years for a coach to truly build an identity, style of play, and culture. Despite, speaking highly of Autry’s progress in this process, Barnes also stated the facts of the situation: sometimes a coach is not given five years.
Nonetheless, the reality is, the standards for the Syracuse Orange are high, and the dissatisfaction amongst the fanbase is apparent. Even if he is making strides in the right direction, sooner or later, Autry will have to make larger improvements in the win and loss columns to give himself a chance to establish himself for a meaningful period of time. The pressure will continue to pile up if Syracuse cannot get back on track as they enter ACC play, especially given that many regard the conference as not as difficult as it once was.
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