The Syracuse Orange (6-4) entered this season with the pressure to get back into the NCAA Tournament. Saturday’s 70-69 home loss to Hofstra is going to make that task a lot harder for Adrian Autry’s squad. It’s too early to call this season over, but the margin for error the rest of the way is that much smaller now. Here are some takeaways from the disappointing loss:
Stuck in the Mud
The Orange failed to control the tempo of this game in large part because of the inability to push the pace on offense. Hofstra went zone and the Syracuse offense was content to go side-to-side and be stuck forcing shots. Nate Kingz made 3 3’s in the second half and the rest of the Orange made 0. With the Pride hitting 12-18 from deep, Syracuse never got them out of rhythm until the desperation press helped speed Hofstra up into a couple of poor shots and turnovers.
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With Nait George struggling, JJ Starling moved to the point with disappointing results. The offensive issues were compounded when the Orange couldn’t get enough stops to get out and run. Syracuse finished the game with 4 fast break points, which is unacceptable for the way this team is constructed.
Cruz Control
On the other side, Hofstra’s Cruz Davis was in complete control all afternoon. He played 40 minutes scoring 22 points and handing out 9 assists. He made both his 3-pt attempts and dissected the Orange defense. Syracuse threw multiple defenders at him and Davis made the right play and his teammates (10-15 from 3) took advantage of the open space they got from his play. After a promising start to the season, once again Syracuse is being badly out-played at the point guard position for the second year in a row.
Kyle’s Motor
The inability to finish takes away from another strong performance from William Kyle who had 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. Kyle was 5-6 from the field, 3-4 from the line and that inability to attack the zone really kept him from having a bigger impact.
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Late in the game, Kyle was all over the floor on both ends- grabbing rebounds, making defensive plays and knocking down his free throws. I don’t think anyone expected Kyle to be this important to the Orange, but he’s been the clear MVP so far this year.
Freshmen ups and downs
After holding a one-point lead at halftime, the Orange came out of the locker room on an 8-2 run which featured two 3’s from Nate Kingz and a dunk from Sadiq White to make it a 45-37 lead and get the Dome crowd energized. This looked like a moment the Orange could pull away from Hofstra, but White was whistled for a technical foul and the Pride got 5 quick points to seize the momentum right back.
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Kiyan Anthony helped spark a late Syracuse comeback with his play on the offensive end, but Anthony got caught watching the ball and left German Plotnikov alone in the corner for a 3 which gave Hofstra a 70-68 lead. White got an oppotunity to tie the game, but made only 1 of 2 at the line to keep Syracuse from forcing overtime.
White and Anthony combined for 24 points, but both missed free throws in the final 3 minutes of the game. There is no doubt about their talent and potential, but both have been guilty of trying to do too much at inopportune times. It’s the inconsistency you get from freshmen and unfortunately in this one, the mistakes stand out more than the positives.
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What were your takeaways from this one?
