Feb 01, 2026
3 min read
Quotes from the Hour of Victory
Syracuse men's basketball: A win away at Notre Dame
The Orange snapped the first four-game losing streak of the Adrian Autry era with a wire-to-wire victory over Notre Dame on Saturday.Here are some practices:
In some cases, safety should come first
There's no denying that the story of the game was the fact that Coach Autry started Sadiq White over Donnie Freeman, but I truly believe it was a smart decision.
For Syracuse, defense has to be a priority, even if it means some uncomfortable lineup decisions. White starting Freeman isn't a knock on Downey's talent, but an acknowledgment of what the team needs right now.
White always brings a good defensive effort and physicality, even if he's been awful of late.That kind of defensive reliability is important, especially early in the game, when Syracuse may have struggled to establish a voice.
Until Syracuse proves it can survive on defense without sacrificing structure, prioritizing White's defense over Freeman's offensive potential is the right decision.
When William Kyle is involved in the offense, the team thrives
Syracuse is at its best when William Kyle is heavily involved in the offensive game plan, and Notre Dame made that clear.
Kyle doesn't need to play for him every possession. But when he gets consistent contact under the rim, offenses will be more balanced and efficient.
He was also better from the free throw line, and the game plan should be for him to score in double figures every game, as he did against the Fighting Irish.
Also, even if Kyle doesn't score, his activity around the basket creates some advantages that don't show up in the stats.
The ball moves more freely, possessions seem more focused, and Syracuse avoids settling for tough perimeter shots late in the clock.
For the most part this season, Kyle has been missing long stretches of time for the offense and the offense has stalled.
Let Nate Kings shoot
Nate Kings was given the green light to shoot when he was open.
Against Notre Dame, it was clear that he is Syracuse's most reliable and confident shooter, and the offense benefits when he plays freely.
The problem with Kings is that he sometimes holds his shot and only scores on spurts.That should change after he scored 28 points last night, once again surpassing his previous career high.
When he's aggressive, he's become a problem for opposing defenses, as he's proven to be the best three-point shooter on the team, while also coming out of the hole to keep defenders honest.
At the end of the day, even the controversial look of King's shot more than the last-hour efforts of others.
If Syracuse wants to maximize its offensive ceiling, the message should be simple: Nate Kingz needs to keep flying.
What are your findings from the Dutch team's recovery efforts?
