Syracuse Basketball: Adrian Autry may cut rotation to 6 or 7; here’s who should play

After defeating long-time local foe Cornell this past Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse basketball sits at 4-2 overall and will head to No. 7 Tennessee this Tuesday evening as part of this season’s SEC/ACC Challenge.

The Orange hasn’t looked overly impressive thus far in the young stages of the 2024-25 campaign, as the ‘Cuse has played six straight games, winning four of them, that were all decided by 10 points or fewer.

The optimist in me says that it’s somewhat encouraging Syracuse basketball is prevailing in close games. The pessimist in me says that the Orange emerging victorious in so many tight contests, when it should likely be blowing out some of these opponents, is a cause for concern.

In his post-game press conference following the team’s triumph over the Big Red, Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry touched on a variety of topics. Among other things, per posts on X from the account Cuse Sports Talk, Autry said players who aren’t giving their full effort will see their court time reduced, and he may shrink his rotation to six or seven guys.

Now, amid the Orange’s slew of close games to date in 2024-25, my fellow SU fans have certainly chimed in via social media regarding what ‘Cuse players should be getting the majority of the minutes for the program, and what players should be sitting on the bench.

It would prove easy to harp on ‘Cuse players who aren’t playing well so far in the 2024-25 term, but that’s not my intention with this piece. I’m simply going to state the guys who I believe should play the most minutes in Autry’s potentially trimmed-down rotation.

J.J. Starling, junior guard
Starling struggled with his shooting against Cornell, but he’s still averaging 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

Donnie Freeman, freshman power forward
He was a stud in the Orange’s last affair, tallying 23 points and 12 rebounds. For the entire stanza, Freeman is averaging 12.0 points and 9.2 boards per encounter.

Eddie Lampkin Jr., graduate student center
Lampkin, of late, has been dealing with some tightness in his back. However, when Lampkin is on, he’s terrific, as a scoring threat inside and a stellar facilitator for others. He’s producing 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 dimes per game.

Elijah Moore, freshman shooting guard
Moore had a coming-out party versus Cornell, scoring 19 points on 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. He has work to do defensively, much as virtually every player on the team’s roster, but Moore’s 3-point shooting is vital to an Orange group that is collectively hitting on 27.0 percent from long range.

Lucas Taylor, senior guard
Taylor’s offensive numbers aren’t eye-popping by any means, but he’s an athletic and quick guard who gets after it on the defensive end, something that the ‘Cuse desperately needs.

Jyare Davis, senior forward
He’s a physical big man who gives the Orange a solid interior presence, especially if Lampkin isn’t playing. Davis averages 8.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest.

Kyle Cuffe Jr., redshirt junior guard
I’ve always felt that Cuffe is an under-rated player. No disrespect to Autry, but with other guards/wings not playing well, I haven’t understood why the Syracuse basketball head coach hasn’t played Kyle more. Maybe that will change – Cuffe is athletic, gives a 110 percent effort, and is solid both with his shooting and his defense.

Petar Majstorovic, freshman big man
This young man isn’t likely to light up the scoreboard, but he’s averaging 3.0 points and 3.6 boards in just 9.2 minutes per meeting.