Game details: Saturday, October 26, Syracuse, NY, 1:00 PM

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In his second season at the helm, head coach Adrian Autry and the Syracuse University men’s basketball team open their two-game exhibition against Division II Clarion (Pa.) on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Setting the stage
Syracuse brings a 27-game winning streak in exhibition games into the matchup against the Golden Eagles. The Orange finished Autry’s debut season with a 20-14 record (11-9 ACC) in 2023-2024.

Clarion is coming off a year in which they finished 8-20 overall (6-16 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference). The Golden Eagles are led by Damian Pitts, who is entering his seventh season with the program.

The exhibition is the first action for both teams this fall.

Key returns
Even with a new team, the Dutch team brings back two important starters from last year’s selection in the junior guard JJ Starling and junior forward Chris Bell. Starling, the former Notre Dame transfer entering his second year with the program, is coming off a season in which he started all 32 games and averaged 13.3 points per game. Among returning players, Starling scored the most points from a year ago. Bell, the sharp-shooting wing, averaged 12.0 points per game last season and led the Orange in three-point shooting at 42% from beyond the arc.

After a year in which injuries hampered Syracuse, the Orange second-year guard welcomes his second redshirt Chance Westry and senior center Naheem McLeodboth of whom missed extended periods last winter. McLeod started the first 14 games of the campaign before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. In his time on the field, McLeod was an effective rim protector, leading the team with 1.9 blocks per game. Westry, on the other hand, missed the entire 2023-2024 season due to an injury suffered in preseason. The winger is ready to make his debut for the Dutch team after playing eleven games in his first year at Auburn.

The fifth returning letterwinner from last year’s team is Redshirt Junior Guard Kyle Cuffe Jr.who started his career at Kansas and is coming off a season in which he made 29 appearances off the bench for Syracuse and averaged 10.7 minutes per game.

Fresh faces
In a busy offseason, the Dutch were loaded with veteran talent, with key additions such as graduate center Eddie Lampkin, senior forward Jyáre Davis and senior guards. Jaquan Carlos And Luke Taylor. Lampkin, the transfer from Colorado, played a crucial role in leading the Buffaloes to the NCAA tournament last season, scoring 21 points in the team’s opening-round win over Florida. Last season, Lampkin averaged 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Lampkin, who started his career at TCU, will bring a veteran to the frontcourt with 87 career starts under his belt. Davis comes to Syracuse from Delaware, where he led the Blue Hens in scoring a year ago with 17.1 points per game and reached double figures in 28 of 32 games. The forward, who started his career at Providence, was named second-team All-CAA in 2023-24.

Carlos, who will become one of the Oranje’s most important facilitators, remains in position after three years at Hofstra. The two-time CAA All-Defensive Team member is coming off a productive season that saw him rank first in the conference and No. 12 in the nation with 6.4 assists per game. Taylor, a transfer from Georgia State, was also effective as he led the Panthers in scoring with 14.5 points per game. He started his career at Wake Forest.

Incoming freshmen
In addition to a flood of transfers, the Dutch team welcomes three first-years to the program this season: Donnie Vrijman (F, 6-9, IMG Academy), Elijah Moore (G, 6-4, Our Savior Lutheran) and Petar Majstrovoic (F, 6-8, Haagnau, France). Freeman joins the team as a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 6 overall recruit in the class of 2024 according to ESPN.com, making him the second-highest recruit in Syracuse history. Moore, who joins the Orange from the professional Overtime Elite league, was ranked 55th overall and ninth among shooting guards in the 247Sports rankings. Likewise, Majstrovoic is ready to contribute early as he has professional experience playing in France.

Tickets
Syracuse men’s basketball tickets are available online (cuse.com/tickets), by phone (1-888-DOMETIX) and at the Dome Box Office (Gate B).

For complete coverage of Syracuse men’s basketball, follow the team on X (@Cuse_MBB) and Instagram (cuse_mbb).