Replacing a legend is never easy, but Syracuse head coach Adrian ‘Red’ Autry certainly took the Orange back to the glory days of the Jim Boeheim era after defeating No. 7 North Carolina, 86-79, on Tuesday.
It was Syracuse’s first win over a Top 10 team since they beat Duke in overtime in 2019, and brought the Orange up to .500 in the ACC.
“This game, obviously, was the best game we’ve played all year,” Autry said after the game. “Judah (Mintz) and JJ (Starling) really stepped up big, but everybody who stepped on the court had a hand in the victory.”
Syracuse only played seven players in the victory, with injuries and a suspension limiting Autry’s depth, but they really only needed two as Mintz and Starling combined for 48 points on an outstanding 17-26 shooting to hand Carolina their third straight Tuesday loss.
‘Cuse may not be back to the dominance they had at different points under coach Boeheim, but this is the kind of signature win a first year head coach needs to gain some momentum and build up good rapport with the fanbase.
The Orange are 16-9 on the year and 7-7 in the ACC, and while they aren’t an NCAA Tournament team unless they win the conference tournament, the future certainly feels bright under Autry’s leadership.