Following Syracuse basketball's loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament, a significant change within the program was announced. Jim Boeheim, who had been at the helm for 47 years, retired and longtime assistant Adrian Autry is taking over. There are five questions that help shape what the Adrian Autry era looks like.
1. What Will Syracuse Run?
One of the most discussed aspects of Jim Boeheim's tenure as head coach of the Orange was the 2-3 zone. With Autry taking over, will Syracuse still use zone as its primary defense? Will the Orange switch to a primarily mean team? Will they mix in both? Offensively, what changes with Autry make to that approach? What types of plays will he design? All fascinating questions that we may not know the answers to until we see Syracuse with our own eyes at the start of next season. But his system on both ends will have a significant impact on Autry's success as well as early fan support.
2. What Will the Staff Look Like?
With Autry's promotion, there is one open position currently on staff but there is another question lingering as well. Will Gerry McNamara stay or will he pursue a head coaching job elsewhere? I think the favorite to land the current open position is Ryan Blackwell. Blackwell is currently the head coach at Liverpool High School and has experience coaching Boeheim's Army. Autry and Blackwell are friends and the move would make a lot of sense for both sides. If McNamara leaves, however, the answer seems to be less obvious. Does Autry bring in a top x's and o's guy with head coaching experience? Does he feel the x's and o's are set with Griffin and potentially Blackwell along with himself so he targets the best recruiter he can find? Would he be open to bringing back Mike Hopkins if he is let go from the head coaching position at Washington? Would Hop want to come back? It will be interesting to see his approach.
3. Who Stays and Who Leaves?
The roster for next season is very much up in the air. Can Autry convince players like Jesse Edwards or Judah Mintz to return rather than turning pro? Will he be able to talk others, most notably Benny Williams, into coming back rather than transferring out? Autry was the lead recruiter for both Mintz and Williams, so I think that provides some hope. That said, I would expect Mintz and Edwards to move on. What about Joe Girard? What about the other freshmen? How do those players fit into whatever system he wants to run, especially if it differs significantly than Boeheim's approach? It will be interesting to see how all of that plays out.
4. How Will Things Change on the Recruiting Front?
Autry has been heavily involved with traveling to AAU events in order to watch certain targets. I would assume that will remain the same, but will he be on the road recruiting more than Boeheim was in recent years? Will he expand Syracuse's recruiting footprint into other areas rather than primarily the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic? How much will he look towards international prospects or the junior college ranks? The recruiting approach will dictate so much and will be fascinating to watch unfold.
5. How Will Syracuse Attack the Portal?
Syracuse did use the transfer portal under Jim Boeheim, but not as much as some programs. How much will Autry utilize the portal to fill out the roster, especially in year one? Does he plan to be aggressive looking for experienced talent or take a more passive approach by filling in spots here and there similar to Boeheim's mentality of trying to build through recruiting. The best approach is likely a mixture of both, but it will be interesting to see how coach Autry handles the portal.
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