Orangeyes Daily Articles for Thursday for Basketball

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Welcome to Mulligan Day!

Mulligan Day is a day when people redo something that didn't turn out the first time. It is a day when people give themselves or others a second chance. Mulligan is a term used in golf when someone who shoots a bad shot is given a do-over. It is only used in informal games, and usually only one extra shot is given per 18 holes, although sometimes a mulligan is given every 9 holes. The term can be applied to other games such as darts as well. The word likely came from David Mulligan, a Canadian golfer prominent in the 1920's, who either hit a poor tee shot, was jumpy and shaky after a shot, or overslept and was late for a shot. Another theory is that John A. "Buddy" Mulligan, a locker room attendant from New Jersey, played golf with a sports writer who started using the term after Mulligan needed a redo after his first shot. The writer, Des Sullivan, used the term in his golf articles for the Newark Evening News. Regardless of which of these stories is true, the term has stuck, and this day is dedicated to it.

SU News

Syracuse basketball picked 11th in ACC preseason poll; how does that compare to previous years? (Mike’s Mailbox) (PS; Waters)

We continue to mark off the days before the 2024-25 basketball season starts.

There is less than three weeks until Syracuse opens the season on Monday, Nov. 4, against Le Moyne. And we’ve got two exhibition games (Oct. 26 vs. Clarion and Oct. 30 vs. Slippery Rock) in the interim.

While we’re counting down the days to opening night, we’re adding up a lot of questions submitted to the Mailbox. We’ve got some good ones this week.

Let’s get started.

(If you have a question for the Mailbox, email it to mwaters@syracuse.com).

Q: Since joining the ACC what’s the lowest that the Orange have been ranked preseason?

Gerry C.

Mike: The ACC released the results of its annual preseason media poll on Tuesday.

Syracuse was picked to finish 11th by the 54 members of the media panel that participated in the poll.

That’s the lowest preseason ranking in the ACC poll for Syracuse since the Orange joined the conference 12 years ago.

In the 11 previous seasons, the lowest Syracuse was ever ranked in the preseason poll was 10th. The Orange was picked 10th both last year and also in the 2017-18 season.

Syracuse did finish in a tie for 10th in 2018, but last year the Orange; in its first year under new head coach Adrian Autry, defied the “experts’' and wound up in a tie for fifth.

Syracuse has also been picked to finish ninth once – in 2015-16 when the Orange did finish tied for ninth, but went on a surprise run to the Final Four.

Q: Is Elijah Moore more of a scorer or distributor?

Zane .
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Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Alex Constanza 'excited' for official visit to the Orange (itlh; Adler)

Alex Constanza, a five-star guard/small forward and top-10 national prospect in the 2026 class, has set his official visit to Syracuse basketball, which is wonderful news.

The 6-foot-8 Constanza, who hails from Florida, will take an official visit to the Orange starting this Friday, per multiple media reports. His dad, Ed Constanza, confirmed this trip to the Hill via text messages on Wednesday.

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Alex Constanza's scheduled visit to the 'Cuse comes not long after assistant coach Allen Griffin, who is the Orange's lead recruiter for Constanza, watched him during a recent open gym at his high school, the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., amid the fall recruiting period.

In August, I reported that Constanza was eyeing an official visit to Syracuse basketball sometime this fall, per his dad, and now that trip to Central New York is on the calendar.
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Composite five star Alex Constanza set to officially visit Syracuse basketball (247sports.com; McAllister)
Syracuse basketball will have a big official visitor on campus starting Friday in 2026 composite five star Alex Constanza. The 6-8, 207 pound small forward prospect was offered by the Orange in January. In addition to Syracuse, Constanza also holds offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Creighton, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Miami, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, St. John's, Washington and others.

Another layer to Constanza's visit is a potential reclassification to the 2025 class. That is something that has been on his mind for a while, and this is Syracuse's chance to show him how he would fit regardless of which class he is in.

"I am thinking about it and seeing what the options are and what would fit me best," Constanza told 247Sports National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham earlier this month.

Constanza is rated a four star prospect by 247Sports and a five star prospect by the 247Sports Composite Ranking. 247Sports stand alone ranking slots him as the 21st best player overall and seventh best small forward. The 247Sports Composite Ranking, which combines all of the major recruiting services, puts him 11th overall and the third best small forward.

The talented prospect has been a standout at several events over the summer and fall, including the PRO16/NXT League and the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival.

Syracuse basketball's 2025 class already includes Composite five star Sadiq White and wing Aaron Womack. The Orange is also heavily recruiting four star guard Kiyan Anthony.

This is what Branham had to say about Constanza following his performance at the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival:

As for Constanza, the 6-foot-7 prospect used his size and length to his advantage by getting down low and finishing at the rim all game long. Windermere didn't have a matchup that could contain him on the block but he also showed his smooth jumper from deep when opportunities came.
Syracuse men’s basketball: an updated look at the Orange’s preseason projections for 2024-25 (TNIAAM; Chiappone)
A new Syracuse Orange men’s basketball year is looming, and this week fans are starting to get a better sense of where the program ranks heading into the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Both KenPom and EvanMiya unveiled their preseason projections on Monday, both of which saw Syracuse start off as a top-70 team sitting right in the middle of a crowded ACC. Likewise, other outlets also released their predictions for this year’s ACC which now included three new programs — Cal, Stanford and SMU.

With the preseason winding down, here is an updated look at where all these rankings and projections have the Orange at heading into 2024-25:

KenPom​

Syracuse will begin the new year ranked No. 68 overall according to KenPom. That includes being No. 42 in adjusted offensive efficiency (7th in ACC) and No. 96 in adjusted defensive efficiency (14th in ACC). Overall, KenPom places the Orange as one of 12 ACC teams ranked top-75 overall heading into the season.

KenPom ACC Preseason Rankings for 2024-25​

ACC Teams	KenPom preseason ranking	Adjusted offensive efficiency	Adjusted defensive efficiency
Duke	2	7	3
North Carolina	14	14	17
Clemson	24	22	35
Pittsburgh	38	32	50
Wake Forest	44	36	58
NC State	52	44	66
Miami (FL)	55	40	76
Louisville	64	63	73
Syracuse	68	42	96
Notre Dame	69	86	60
Georgia Tech	70	59	82
SMU	74	55	93
Virginia	78	110	42
Florida State	90	93	84
Virginia Tech	92	77	97
Stanford	99	88	111
Boston College	113	108	143
California	135	161	116

The dominant story the KenPom numbers are telling: including Syracuse, the middle of the ACC will be wild and unpredictable. After the top-three of Duke, North Carolina and Clemson, the Orange as well as nine additional teams rank between No. 35 and No. 80 per KenPom.

Bart Torvik​

The most updated Bart Torvik rankings feel pretty similarly about the Orange as the rest of the advanced preseason projections. Syracuse ranks No. 72 overall, which is good for No. 12 in the conference. That included ranking No. 57 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 97 in adjusted defensive efficiency.

EvanMiya​

Of the three advanced analytics sites, EvanMiya has Syracuse ranked the highest. The Orange are currently sitting at 11th in the ACC but No. 61 overall according to EvanMiya.

Once again, Syracuse’s projected offensive rating is better than its defensive rating. The Orange rank No. 53 on offense compared to No. 80 on defense.

One interesting note: EvanMiya includes a “roster rank” stat which is based on the overall strength of a team based collectively on individual Bayesian Performance Ratings (BPR), a metric commonly used by EvanMiya to broadly measure player production and efficiency. Syracuse ranks No. 52 overall in roster rank, which is good for 9th in the ACC.
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Syracuse Basketball: I'm a homer, but there aren't 10 better teams in ACC than 'Cuse (itlh; Adler)
In fewer than three weeks, Syracuse basketball will commence its 2024-25 campaign, the program's second season with Adrian Autry at the helm of the Orange.

It's true that the 'Cuse missed the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24 for the third straight year. It's also true that, a term ago, Autry guided Syracuse basketball to 20 regular-season wins for the first time in a decade, while having a roster primarily composed of sophomores, a tough non-conference docket, two key players injured, and another key player dismissed from the program this past February.

To me, the Orange had a successful first campaign under Autry, although he, his top-flight staff and their players have their sights set on reaching March Madness come the spring of next year.

As 2024-25 inches closer, numerous national and Atlantic Coast Conference pundits don't appear super high on Syracuse basketball. But that's why the games are played, and I believe that the 'Cuse will fare better than some experts are opining.

Syracuse basketball isn't getting a lot of preseason love from college hoops observers.

I'm the first to acknowledge that preseason prognostications are rather silly. But in any event, the ACC's preseason media poll, released on Tuesday, forecasts the Orange to finish at No. 11 in the league's standings in 2024-25. The ACC, this term, has 18 members in college basketball, with the additions of California, SMU and Stanford.

Not too long ago, CBS Sports panelists projected the 'Cuse at No. 12 in the ACC's pecking order. On3 national analyst/scout Jamie Shaw, in his preview of this year's ACC race, puts Syracuse basketball at No. 10.

In his preseason "Power 37" rankings disclosed this week, national expert Andy Katz has the Orange in his "under consideration" category, listed second behind Virginia. KenPom, in recent days, published its preseason ratings, placing Syracuse basketball at No. 68 overall.

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Syracuse basketball among several teams prioritizing 5-star Jordan Smith from the DMV (itlh; Adler)

These days, several suitors are prioritizing elite DMV product Jordan Smith Jr., including Syracuse basketball.

The 2026 five-star shooting guard, who is in the top 10 nationally of his class per most recruiting services, took an unofficial visit to the Hill last month. The Orange coaching staff, which offered the 6-foot-3 Smith a scholarship in early May of 2023, appears to be putting on the full-court press for this talented prospect from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region.

During the most recent AAU season, 'Cuse coaches were in attendance for Smith amid NCAA live periods. In early July, Syracuse basketball assistant coach Brenden Straughn was on hand to watch Smith help lead the USA Basketball U17 national team to the gold medal at the 2024 FIBA World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey.

A recent article from Matt Whitfield on zagsblog.com noted a couple of college squads that are currently prioritizing Smith. They include Georgetown, the Orange, Duke and Arkansas. To date, Smith's offer sheet totals more than 20, and this list features multiple blue-bloods and other heavyweights in the sport.

Syracuse basketball is recruiting 2026 five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. hard.

Smith had an All-American campaign last season as a sophomore at the powerhouse St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., which was a top-five national program during the 2023-24 term. In the upcoming season, as a junior, Smith will once again contend for All-America honors, experts say.
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Isaac Schade "The 315" 10-16-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Isaac Schade of Locked on College Basketball joins Brian Higgins to discuss his thoughts on the ACC this year, as well as some other teams that he finds intriguing.
Keeping Up With The 315 10-16-24 (ESPN; radio; The 315)
Brian Higgins reacts to the ACC basketball preseason poll, goes through the guys who transferred out from last year’s Syracuse team and who transferred in, and discusses Kyle McCord’s historic pace.

Syracuse Men's Basketball on Instagram: " : Lucas Taylor"

915 likes, 11 comments - cuse_mbb on October 16, 2024: " : Lucas Taylor".

www.instagram.com

Former Syracuse basketball star Elijah Hughes signs with NBA team (PS; $; Waters)

Elijah Hughes, the former Syracuse University guard, has signed a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to media reports.

The former Syracuse star was a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He spent the next year and a half with the Utah Jazz before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He has appeared in a total of 54 NBA games with Utah and Portland.

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According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers have signed Hughes to an Exhibit 10. He will likely begin the season with Cleveland’s G-League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.

Hughes was with the Milwaukee Bucks’ G-League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, last year. The Cleveland Charge had traded for his rights after the 2023-24 season.

He had signed with Promitheas Patras BC of the Greek Basketball League, but now finds himself with a new opportunity in the NBA.

Hughes began his college career at East Carolina before transferring to Syracuse. He played two seasons for the Orange. He led Syracuse in scoring in 2019-20 at 19.0 points per game.

Despite having one year of eligibility remaining, Hughes entered that year’s NBA draft and went to Utah with the No. 39 overall pick.

Thunder sign son of legendary Syracuse basketball coach (yardbarker.com; Adams)

The Thunder have made a pair of roster moves, announcing Wednesday that they’ve signed forward Buddy Boeheim and waived forward Alex Reese. Oklahoma City is still carrying 20 players on its preseason roster, one below the limit.

The Thunder and Boeheim agreed to terms on an Exhibit 10 contract all the way back at the start of July, just a couple days after he was waived by the Pistons.

The son of longtime Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, Buddy spent most of the 2023-24 season with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, before being promoted to the Pistons on a two-way contract in February.

The younger Boeheim made just 10 NBA appearances last season and saw limited minutes, but played a significant role for the Cruise, averaging 15.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 26.8 minutes per game across 47 Showcase Cup and regular-season outings. He made an impressive 41.9% of 8.0 three-point tries per game while also knocking down 86.0% of his free throws.

The Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — acquired Boeheim’s returning rights in a trade with the Cruise this offseason, so it appears the plan is to waive him before the NBA season begins and have him report to the Blue. That also figures to be the next step for Reese. Both players will earn Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with OKC’s NBAGL team.
MBB: Preseason All-ACC, Favorite (RX; HM)

MBB: Preseason All-ACC, Favorite
From the official ACC release of Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024...

Duke Selected as Preseason ACC Men’s Basketball Favorite​

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke was voted the preseason favorite to win the 2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, following a vote of a select media panel. Ranked No. 7 nationally in the preseason Associated Press poll, the Blue Devils are the preseason ACC favorites for the ninth time in the last 12 seasons.
The media panelists selected North Carolina’s RJ Davis as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, while Duke’s Cooper Flagg was chosen as ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year.
Duke claimed 42 of the 54 first-place votes, accumulating 956 points. No. 9 nationally in the preseason AP poll, North Carolina took second in the ACC preseason prognostications with 11 first-place votes and 924 total points. Wake Forest was third in the ACC poll with one first-place vote and 800 points as the Demon Deacons claimed their highest preseason ranking since 2009 when they tied for second in the preseason poll.
Coming off an NCAA Elite Eight appearance, Clemson (765 points) was picked fourth in the poll, while Virginia (743) was fifth. Miami (659) and Pitt (636) were right behind in sixth and seventh, respectively. Reigning ACC champion NC State, fresh off its first Final Four appearance since 1983, placed eighth in the preseason poll.
Louisville was ninth in the poll and was followed in 10th through 18th, respectively, by Notre Dame, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, SMU, Virginia Tech, Florida State, California, Stanford and Boston College.
The reigning ACC Player of the Year and a First-Team All-ACC honoree last season, Davis headlines the Preseason All-ACC Team and is joined on the first team by Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Miami’s Nijel Pack, Notre Dame’s Markus Burton and Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis. Sallis also earned First-Team All-ACC honors for the 2023-24 season, while Burton was a third-team honoree and the 2024 ACC Rookie of the Year.
The second team consists of Clemson’s Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin, Florida State’s Jamir Watkins, Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo and Pitt’s Ishmael Leggett.
The reigning ACC Player of the Year, Davis was a 2024 First-Team All-American and the winner of the 2024 Jerry West Award, presented to the top shooting guard in the country. Davis is the first ACC Player of the Year to return to school since UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough for the 2008-09 season. He was the first Tar Heel to earn consensus first-team All-America honors since Justin Jackson in 2016-17. A 6-foot, 180-pound graduate student, Davis led the ACC in scoring last season, averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game. The White Plains, New York, native set the UNC single-season record with 113 3-pointers and recorded 23 games scoring at least 20 points. Davis is UNC’s all-time leader in free throw percentage (85.8%) and ranks second in 3-pointers (274) and fifth in scoring (2,088 points). Phil Ford is the only Tar Heel guard with more points.
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Onondaga County funds $1M improvements on South Salina Street, part of the aquarium horsetrade (PS; $; Knauss)

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon today announced the fulfillment of a promise he made two years ago in return for Legislator Charles Garland’s support for a new aquarium.

The county will pay just over $1 million for façade improvements along a 2.5-mile stretch of South Salina Street, the South Side’s long-suffering main business corridor.

The money will pay for new siding, paint, doors, windows or other improvements at 16 buildings along a stretch from East Adams Street to Seneca Turnpike.

“This is the most economic development funding that we’ve seen on the South Side,’’ said Garland, who joined McMahon, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and other city and county officials for a news conference.

Garland pressed McMahon for a commitment of county money to fund improvements on the South Side in 2022 when McMahon was looking for support to spend $85 million on a county aquarium at the Syracuse Inner Harbor.

McMahon promised $4.5 million to build 10 homes on the South Side, a $3.7 million increase in lead abatement funding and roughly $1 million from the county’s Main Street program to improve South Salina Street.

Garland’s yes vote let the aquarium project go forward with a 9-8 approval from the county legislature.

The grants announced today will spruce up 16 buildings here and there along a 2.5- mile stretch through some of the poorest neighborhoods in Syracuse. The street features numerous vacant lots and boarded-up buildings.

The grants range from $14,900 to $281,000. Each of the recipients will pay part of the cost, adding a combined investment of $450,000 to the county’s $1 million.

Nearly half of the money will go to nonprofit organizations that are active on the South Side. The Syracuse Community Health Center building at 819 S. Salina St. will get the largest grant, $281,000, for a project that includes new windows, doors and siding.

Other nonprofits include People’s Community Development Corp., an affiliate of People’s A.M.E. Zion Church that owns several properties near the church and will receive $135,000; and Home HeadQuarters, which will get $66,700 to improve three buildings.

Private businesses that will receive grants include Valley Plaza ($100,000), Dunk N Bright ($26,000), and Salina Properties LLC ($112,800).
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