Syracuse rolls in regular season but lose J.J. Starling to injury

The Syracuse Orange opened the 2025-26 regular season with a 85-47 win at the JMA Wireless Dome over their Central New York foe, the Binghamton Bearcats. The story of the game, however, occurred in the early minutes of play when preseason All-ACC second team senior guard J.J. Starling went down with a lower body injury. Starling had limped to the locker room without assistance and then returned to the bench with a towel draped over his head. Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry said he doesn't believe the injury is serious. With Starling out for most of the game, Autry was asked how the team was able to continue playing with high-energy for the full 40 minutes.

"The work we've been doing from the first day we got here," said Coach Autry. "That's how we practice and that's how we play everyday. Obviously we played well, but J.J. is a big part of what we plan on doing in the future, and he helps out our offense even more, especially in transition."

The Orange saw multiple players step up in the absence of Starling. Sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman led the way with 20 points on 7-11 shooting with 6 rebounds and 2 blocks. Binghamton did not seem to have an answer for Freeman defensively, who found a variety of ways to score between attacking inside as well as settling for jump shots outside the paint. Freeman said Coach Autry has put an emphasis on the team being ultra-aggressive this season.

"Our thing this year is going to hunt," said Freeman. "No matter what, we're never going to be satisfied, and we're going to keep attacking our opponent until that final buzzer sounds. It's a new team, and we're still getting acclimated with each other, we're still trying to gel and find what works best for us. But, I feel like today was a good stepping stone for us." 

Syracuse saw four more players get in double figures. Senior forward William Kyle III, a transfer from UCLA who averaged just 2.9 points last season, had an impactful night on both ends of the floor, adding an efficient 16 points (8-9 FG) and 5 rebounds. Out of Kyle III's eight baskets, which were all in the paint, seven of them were rim-shaking dunks. Kyle III credited his offensive production to junior guard Nathan George's playmaking. 

"He's elite," said Kyle III. "He's a wizard out there. Coaches are always telling me, 'Roll, roll, roll.' So, I roll and George finds me. I feel like the chemistry was already there when I first started playing with him because I know I'm a lob threat, and he's an elite point guard."

Speaking of George, who was previously a two-year starter at Georgia Tech averaging 12.3 points, 6.5 assists (11th among Division I), and 4.2 rebounds, stepped up without Starling and scored 14 points while leading the team with 8 assists and 5 steals. The pace of the offense was notably faster whenever George was on the court—Syracuse finished with 24 points off turnovers and 21 fast break points—and seemed to prioritize creating buckets for his teammates. 

"I just want to get lost in the little things offensively and defensively," said George. "There's energy in the basketball, and if you just play the game the right way, it's going to find you. I feel like the flow and the pace is just much faster. That comes with my play but also our team putting in work and staying conditioned with coach emphasizing playing fast and smart."

Freshman guard Kiyan Anthony, son of Hall of Fame Syracuse basketball player Carmelo Anthony, was the leading scorer off the bench 15 and added 3 rebounds and 3 assists. With Starling only playing 3 minutes, Autry gave Anthony more time on the court to fill in that hole and he took full advantage of the opportunity. The highlight of Anthony's performance was a fadeaway jumper near the baseline that looked all too familiar to longtime fans of the Orange. 

"It's something I work on. Credit to my dad of course, that was hit shot and he passed it down to me. We work on that almost everyday in the gym. I work on that in practice, so it's a shot I felt confident was going in. I know the work I put in. I know the midrange is kind of the lost ark, but my dad always preached to me midrange is the easiest way to score."

One of the biggest negative takeaways from this game, however, will be three-point shooting. The Orange went 4-21 (19%) from behind the arc, which was especially low for a team that shot 33% from three last season. Luckily, Binghamton didn't do much better, going 1-13 from downtown. The Bearcats also had 22 turnovers to Syracuse's five. The Orange have now won all six meetings with Binghamton. Each pairing has been contested in the Dome since the teams first squared off in 2001-02. Syracuse will look to start 2-0 this Saturday against Delaware State, with the availability of Starling undetermined. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at the JMA Wireless Dome.