FELISHA'S PHILOSOPHY
By: Zak Wolf | Asst. Sports Editor
Felisha Legette-Jack took over a program in disarray when she was hired in March 2022. Now, in just her second year at the helm of her alma mater, Legette-Jack has turned Syracuse into a national contender, propelling it to a top-three seed in the ACC for the first time since 2015-16. While SU's roster is filled with talent, Legette-Jack's connection with her players has played a huge role in pushing the Orange back to prominence.
STILL HERE
By: Henry O'Brien | Senior Staff Writer
Gerry McNamara enshrined himself as a Syracuse great playing for the Orange from 2002-06 and enhanced his legacy as an assistant coach from 2011-2023. When Adrian Autry took over for Jim Boeheim, McNamara was promoted to associate head coach. Yet with the promotion, McNamara has maintained the same tranquil mindset and player development skills, bringing the Orange to the brink of a return to the NCAA Tournament.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
By: Justin Girshon | Asst. Sports Editor
Growing up, Saniaa Wilson was always the tallest and most powerful player on the court. This led to her developing as an old-fashioned back-to-the-basket player. As a junior at SU, Wilson said she is in a “dream scenario,” playing in a versatile four-player forward rotation. In 2023-24, she dominated down low, as her 56.5% field goal percentage ranked in the 97th percentile of Division I.
'QUIET STORM'
By: Tyler Schiff | Senior Staff Writer
Maliq Brown is never the loudest on the court. But in his sophomore year at Syracuse, his play has done much of the talking. With SU's thin frontcourt depth, Brown has turned into an indispensable piece for the Orange, averaging just under 10 points and seven rebounds while playing almost 30 minutes a game. Heading into a pivotal ACC Tournament, the Orange will need Brown's productivity to survive.
GLOSSED OVER
By: Cooper Andrews | Sports Editor
Dyaisha Fair had a historic 2023-24 campaign, spearheading Syracuse's resurgent season and becoming a top-five scorer in women's college basketball history. But our columnist argues that Fair has lacked proper national media coverage for her stellar performance, and thinks March is Fair's time to finally entrench herself in the spotlight.
LATE-SEASON SURGE
By: Cole Bambini | Senior Staff Writer
Year one of the Adrian Autry era was a roller-coaster. Blowout losses, press conference meltdowns and controversy marred a promising regular season. Still, SU turned it around late, winning a top-10 matchup over UNC and clinching its first 20-win season in four years. Our columnist writes that Autry's up-and-down first year at the helm has been an overall success.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear readers,
Both Syracuse basketball programs are on the rise. The women's squad notched its highest Atlantic Coast Conference finish (third place) since 2015-16, while the men's team delivered its first 20-win regular season in six years. Now, they each barrel toward the 2024 ACC Tournament with a chance to make magic in March.
Syracuse's women's head coach Felisha Legette-Jack has spurred the program's return to prominence in just her second season at the helm. Legette-Jack's group has been bolstered by Saniaa Wilson, a bruising post presence who packs a unique punch in a deep frontcourt, and led by Dyaisha Fair, who has put together a historic 2023-24 campaign yet still searches for more national recognition.
As for the men's side, the Orange weathered midseason adversity and blowout losses to complete a late-season surge and salvage the first year of the Adrian Autry era. While Gerry McNamara provided a major impact among SU's roster in his debut season as associate head coach. Plus, multi-faceted center Maliq Brown kept Syracuse steady through his breakout sophomore season.
The Daily Orange's 2024 ACC Tournament Guide tells the biggest stories from Syracuse's men's and women's basketball squads as they each try to win their first-ever ACC title.
Thanks for reading,
Cooper Andrews | Sports Editor
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Sports Editor: Cooper Andrews
Editor-in-Chief: Anish Vasudevan
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Assistant Sports Editors: Justin Girshon, Aiden Stepansky and Zak Wolf
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