And just like that, Syracuse has essentially erased all the goodwill and momentum built after a massive win over Tennessee. For the first time in program history, the Orange were upended by Hofstra in an embarrassing 70-69 defeat. It is a major setback, placing Red Autry right back on the hot seat.
Shocking upsets are part of the sport. The Orange opened as an 11.5-point favorite and closed around 9- or 9.5-point favorites at most sportsbooks. This game should not have even been close, but ‘Cuse lacked the offensive firepower to pull away and played an uncharacteristically poor game defensively.
It’s not hard to figure out where things went wrong. Hofstra shot 12-of-18 from behind the arc and 49 percent from the floor in total. Meanwhile, the Orange continue to struggle from the free-throw line, missing seven more shots from the charity stripe on Saturday. ‘Cuse likely could have survived one or the other, but the combination of the two did them in.
What went wrong in the loss?
The lack of a concrete offensive identity, coupled with the team’s inability to capitalize from the line, is an indictment of Autry and his staff. The roster is talented enough to compete in the upper tier of sport. Maybe they are not ready for an Elite Eight run, but they should be a tournament team without issue. That outlook is now in jeopardy…