Hey, friends, Syracuse basketball plays on Saturday.
The Orange’s 2024-25 season officially gets underway on Monday, Nov. 4, when the ‘Cuse hosts nearby Le Moyne at the JMA Wireless Dome. But before then, the Orange has two exhibitions, and one is this afternoon.
Syracuse basketball, led by second-year head coach Adrian Autry, his top-flight staff and their significantly revamped roster, will host Division II Clarion University on Saturday, Oct. 26, beginning at 1 pm at the Dome. You can watch this exhibition via the ACC Network Extra.
⏰ It’s (exhibition) GAME WEEK‼️ pic.twitter.com/jsZF1fLBry
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) October 21, 2024
Clarion, located in Clarion, Pa., is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (“PSAC”). Led by head coach Damian Pitts, who is entering his seventh campaign with the Golden Eagles, Clarion in 2023-24 went 8-20 overall and 6-16 in PSAC competition.
A few days ago, the preseason coaches poll ahead of the 2024-25 term was announced in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Clarion, in this poll, was forecast to finish at No. 7 in the PSAC’s Western Division.
The Golden Eagles’ leading scorer from a season ago was guard Cam Kearney, who is from Virginia Beach, Va. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound Kearney, now a junior, averaged 16.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 2023-24, while he connected on 43.6 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.4 percent from the free-throw line.
As a sophomore, he was named to the All-PSAC West second team. His 16.6 points points per contest ranked No. 15 in the PSAC and eighth in the conference’s Western Division.
In 2023-24, the Orange sported a 20-12 overall mark, winning 20 regular-season games for the first time in a decade with Autry in his debut term as the team’s head coach after replacing the Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim.
Looking ahead to 2024-25, Syracuse basketball is looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence. The ‘Cuse, this season, returns five players from 2023-24, while bringing on board four college transfers and three incoming freshmen.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason media poll, the Orange was projected to finish at No. 11 in the 18-member league, which expanded in 2024-25 through the additions of California, SMU and Stanford.
After the ‘Cuse hosts Clarion, the program’s second exhibition will transpire on Wednesday, Oct. 30, against Division II Slippery Rock University on the Hill. This exhibition will begin at 7 pm, with coverage on the ACC Network Extra.
Slippery Rock University, located in Slippery Rock, Pa., is also a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The Rock was predicted to finish second in the PSAC’s Western Division.
Per SU Athletics, Syracuse basketball is on a 27-game winning streak in exhibitions.
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