Syracuse men’s basketball: takeaways from win over Stonehill

Syracuse finally got things together so fans didn’t have to sweat the final minutes. Let’s get to takeaways from the 77-49 win over Stonehill.

The “Level Five” Defensive Intensity is There

Nearly every press conference with Coach Autry seems to begin with the same question: Did the team sustain its “Level Five” energy and intensity throughout the game?

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Against Tennessee, both players and coaches agreed that the standard was met. Replicating it against other non-conference opponents, however, has been a challenge.

Monday night offered a clear glimpse of what this team is capable of on the defensive end when it commits to that level of effort for a full forty minutes.

Stonehill entered the matchup with a NET ranking similar to Mercyhurst’s, but the defensive attention to detail against the Skyhawks was unmistakable. That focus held Stonehill to just 26 percent shooting from the field and resulted in 12 blocked shots.

William Kyle is among the ACC’s elite defenders, and when he is on the floor, scoring, especially in the paint, SHOULD be a difficult task for any opponent.

The challenge now lies with the supporting cast: matching Kyle’s presence by bringing that same energy, intensity, and discipline to every possession, as they did against Stonehill.

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Naithan George is the X Factor

Looking back at non-conference play, one name consistently stands out, a player whose performances seem to mirror the team’s results. When the team wins, he plays well. When it loses, he struggles.

That player is Naithan George.

George had a difficult showing in Vegas, and the same was true against Hofstra. The past two games, however, have told a very different story.

After the Mercyhurst game, Coach Autry noted that George was never expected to be a 20-points-per-game scorer.

But maybe that’s exactly what this team needs.

Back-to-back 22-point performances have fueled the offense, and the difference is clear when the ball is in George’s hands. He is an…

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Publish date : 2025-12-23 14:00:00

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