WATCH: Observations From the Start of Syracuse Men's Basketball's 2023-24 Season

The Orange are off to a 2-0 start to the Adrian Autry era.

We discuss the start of Syracuse men's basketball's 2023-24 season in the video above. 

RECAP OF WIN OVER CANISIUS

Syracuse, N.Y.-- Following the Orange’s 89-77 victory over the Canisius Golden Griffins Wednesday night, head coach Adrian Autry was proud of his team’s result, but wants to see more consistency moving forward.

Syracuse led 41-32 at halftime and grew their lead to 20 with 9:06 remaining in regulation. Canisius responded by making nine of their next 10 field goals, including five three-pointers to cut the deficit to single digits. Autry said the culprit for SU not putting the Golden Griffin’s away was lapses in their man-to-man defense.

“We had a really good defensive run in the second half where we had seven stops in a row. Our breakdown during their run was not keeping the ball in front of us. In any defense, if you can’t defend the ball there’s going to be breakdowns and that’s what happened,” Autry said.

A young Syracuse squad still found a way to walk away with the win, something that Autry recognizes is an admirable trait of his group. The main reason Cuse held off Canisius was an offensive onslaught from Judah Mintz.

The sophomore point guard scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half, shooting 5-8 from the field and 8-9 from the free-throw line. Mintz was full of highlight plays during a 14-3 Syracuse run, converting a four-point play and back-to-back possessions with and-1 makes in the paint.

“I do feel like I’m a second-half player and that it can take me a little bit to get settled in. I’d much rather just come out from the opening tip and play like I did, but that just comes with time. I think tonight there were a lot of positives, and showed the type of team that we can be when everything is clicking,” Mintz said.

Autry also spoke on what his team might lack in experience, they make up for in competitiveness. Canisius was physical in the first half, going to the free-throwline for 14 attempts while Syracuse had just two opportunities. Cuse flipped the script in the final 20 by being the aggressor, drawing 14 fouls and forcing Canisius into the double bonus for the last eight minutes of regulation.

“I liked the way we kept my composure. We kept attacking we didn't get out of character… we could have easily been in a one-point game and we did a good job of locking in and building that lead back up. We just got to put it together as a whole and I think they understand and know what our mission is,” Autry said.

Guard JJ Starling played his best game in his young career with the Orange, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high seven assists. Fellow starters Justin Taylor (13) and Chris Bell (12) also chipped in with double-digit performances for Syracuse. Center Naheem McLeod made his impact felt by blocking five shots and grabbing six of his nine rebounds on the offensive glass.

“Canisius was a really good test for us. They really hit some tough shots late, but honestly, that’s what you want them to take. If they make them, hats off to them. Those tough shots are what made them come back, but that’s no excuse. We still have to clean some things up on defense,” Starling said.

After having a quick turnaround for their first two games inside the JMA Dome, Syracuse will use the next few days to find more consistency defensively. They’ll host the Colgate Raiders next Tuesday, a Central New York foe that has upset the Orange in their last two meetings. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be available to watch on ACC Network Extra.

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