Why Syracuse's win over Tennessee was transformational

Syracuse basketball fans got to enjoy a special moment on Tuesday as they stormed the court after the Orange defeated Tennessee 62-60. They also got to breathe a sigh of relief.

This has been a long time coming. And I mean a long time coming. The Orange’s last win over a ranked nonconference opponent came against No. 16 Ohio State in November of 2018.

Beating a ranked opponent is always a good feeling. But this holds way more significance for SU than most other programs because of what has gone on in the interim. 

It was the worst of times...

Apologies to the Syracuse University Class of 2025. You just went through the worst four-year stretch of Syracuse men’s basketball in over half a century. 

The Orange missed the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season this past March, confirming that this was the longest stretch without postseason basketball since they missed the tournament six straight years from 1967 to 1972. 

For a frame of reference, the tournament expanded from 23 to 25 teams in 1969. Jim Boeheim became an assistant coach on the Syracuse staff that coming fall. The current field is 68 teams. Missing the Big Dance back then was much more understandable. The 1972 Orange went 22-6 and did not receive an invite.

The pressure is on for coach Adrian "Red" Autry to at the very least reach the tournament this year, snapping this postseason drought. The first two years of his tenure have offered little to indicate that he was up to the task of succeeding one of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport. The 2025-26 season has a bit of a different feel to it though.

Could the best of times be coming?

The team's performance at the Players Era tournament showed promise but ultimately failed to deliver an impactful result. The Orange took then No. 3 Houston to overtime in a thrilling game that included an 11-0 run to end regulation. SU hung with Kansas for 34 minutes before fading in the final six. The wheels fell off against Iowa State. After trailing by one at halftime, the Cyclones outscored the Orange by 30 in the second half.

Context is important. This would have been a tough test for any team. Syracuse faced the 7th, 20th and 5th-ranked teams in KenPom in three successive days. They also did so without their top scorer, Donnie Freeman, who is working his way back from an injury.

Beating Tennessee is a major resume booster and certainly makes the past week's results a bit easier to stomach. And there is still plenty to work on. Syracuse missed nine more free throws on Tuesday. They missed a staggering 34 free throws in Las Vegas. If I’m Autry, I’m putting a padlock on the door to the practice facility and not letting the players leave until they have fixed their free-throw woes. 3-point shooting continues to be inconsistent as well.

This was a must-win for the Orange. After striking out on a big win in Vegas, this was the Orange’s final game of consequence before conference play begins. Syracuse faces St. Joe’s, Hofstra, Mercyhurst, Northeastern and Stonehill before hosting Clemson on New Year’s Eve to kick off ACC play.

Autry finally has a signature win

Assuming the bottom doesn’t fall out for Tennessee, this will be the type of win that finally separates Syracuse if it winds up on the bubble again. The ACC has a clear pecking order atop the conference with Duke, Louisville and UNC leading the way. After that, things are wide open. There is no reason SU cannot compete with Clemson, Virginia and NC State in that next tier of teams.

There is still a long season ahead. Resumes are not finished in early December. But Tuesday was the first sign of life from a program that used to be synonymous with greatness. The road back to blue blood status is long and certainly requires a lot more than a regular-season win over Tennessee, but it is a step in the right direction.