JJ Starling leads Syracuse to win in first exhibition

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team began their season on Friday night with an exhibition win against the Daemen University Wildcats, a Buffalo school.

The Orange came out of the evening with an 81-68 win. Sophomore guards Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland each scored 12 points, while JJ Starling played 40 minutes, leading the way for SU.

The game was the debut for new head coach Adrian Autry, who took over head coaching duties from longtime head coach Jim Boeheim after spending 12 years on the bench as an assistant and associate head coach.

Photo by Theoplis Stewart II

Daemen guard Dylan Fasoyiro moves the ball down the court.

“Today was exciting, but it kinda felt normal,” he said postgame. “Didn’t have too many decisions to make.”

Star sophomore guard Judah Mintz did not warm up with the team, staying in practice clothes. Just five minutes before tip-off, the team announced that Mintz had suffered a mild lower-body injury in practice earlier in the week. He was dressed but did not play. Postgame, Autry characterized the injury as “nothing serious.”

“I wanted to hold him out today,” Autry continued. “Judah’s fine, he’ll be ready to go.”

With Mintz out, Autry’s starters for his first game at head coach were Starling, Taylor, sophomore forward Chris Bell, junior forward Benny Williams and junior center Naheem McCloud.

Starling emerged as the lead ball handler early. He was able to get downhill in pick-and-roll with the 7-foot-4 McCloud, who received a lob dunk from Starling to get the scoring started.

The game gave Autry an opportunity to try out some strategies.

Photo by Theoplis Stewart II

SU forward Benny Williams dunks on Daemen’s defense at Friday’s game.

After the first timeout, sophomore forward Maliq Brown entered the game for McCloud; a smaller Syracuse lineup. Autry spent much of the offseason discussing how Syracuse would be shifting away from Boeheim’s signature 2-3 zone offense. Surprisingly, the Orange did play a possession of it in the first half, but the Wildcats quickly scored. The scheme wasn’t featured again that evening.

The Orange looked ready on defense, poaching in the passing lanes all afternoon. With four minutes left, Copeland picked off a Daemen pass at the top of the key and ran in transition. It appeared to everyone in the stands that Copeland missed an open layup, but he instead threw the ball off the backboard for a lob to Williams. The crowd was on its feet, but all coach Autry could do was smile as he returned to his bench.

A few plays later, Williams came off his man on the perimeter to reject a Daemen attempt under the basket. He scooped up the block and Starling hit a running skyhook on the break, prompting the Wildcats to call timeout, trailing 42-25.

With the clock winding down to halftime, McCloud rejected a Daemen layup in the attempt, prompting Starling to bring the ball down the court with just seven seconds left. After some dribbling wizardry, he found Justin Taylor open on the wing, who drained a triple as the buzzer sounded, his fourth of the first half.

At halftime, the Orange led 49-27 with 21-of-35 shooting from the field. Taylor led the team in scoring with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc.

Daemen started the second half hot, out-scoring the Orange 17-10 in the first 6 minutes of action and forcing coach Autry to call a timeout.

Redshirt sophomore guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. helped keep the visitors at bay with a pair of three-pointers, but the Orange were never able to put the Wildcats away, letting Daemen come within 12 points.

Six Syracuse players scored in double digits tonight, with Copeland, Taylor, Cuffe, Brown, Willimas and Starling all reaching the mark. Starling played all 40 minutes tonight, which Autry said postgame was not the plan, but his command of the game was strong.

Photo by Theoplis Stewart II

Sophomore guard Quadir Copeland hugs Daemen freshman guard Ryan Heath after the game.

“I thought the first half we played defense and pushed the ball and in the second half we just didn’t match that same intensity,” Autry said postgame.

The Orange took their feet off the gas in the final 20 minutes, and Autry is looking to improve in their next game.

“We have a team that can space out multiple guys that can, you know, drive the ball, so we’ll just be better on both sides of the ball. As for defensively, rebounding and keeping people in front of us,” Autry said.

Next up for Syracuse is their second and final exhibition match on Wednesday night against College of St. Rose. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.