Syracuse basketball redshirt junior guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., who has scored at least nine points in five of the Orange’s past six games, has given the ‘Cuse a strong boost off the bench of late, second-year head coach Adrian Autry said on Monday.

Autry and other Atlantic Coast Conference coaches participated in a media call via Zoom on Monday. During his time on the call, Autry briefly touched on several Orange players, as the ‘Cuse (6-8, 0-3 in the ACC) prepares to host Georgia Tech (8-7, 2-2 in the ACC) this Tuesday evening at the JMA Wireless Dome.

Cuffe has seen his minutes increase in recent affairs. While his shooting percentages aren’t terrific, he has been assertive in attacking the paint, and he gets after it on the defensive end, too.

Autry said that Cuffe provides great energy on offense and defense, he’s tough, he competes and he can put pressure on the rim.

These days, Syracuse basketball is mightily struggling, having lost two straight and six of its last eight encounters. As such, Autry has tinkered some with his starting line-up and rotation combinations. He even acknowledged that on Monday, noting that he’s trying to find the right mix of guys for the Orange to be successful.

Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry also discussed two of his sharp-shooting wings.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, I assumed that the team’s two biggest 3-point threats would consist of junior small forward Chris Bell, who shot 42 percent from deep a stanza ago, and freshman shooting guard Elijah Moore, who came to the Hill with a tremendous reputation as a 3-point specialist.

Needless to say, one of the biggest weaknesses for the ‘Cuse so far in 2024-25 has been its 3-point shooting, as Syracuse basketball is only making 29.6 percent from the perimeter, although the Orange did hit 40 percent from beyond the arc over the weekend in a 16-point road loss at Florida State.

Bell entered that FSU game having gone 0-of-13 from 3-point land over the past month or so, and he didn’t start against the Seminoles. However, versus Florida State, Bell went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and collected a team-high 18 points. He’s up to 27.3 percent from long range for the season.

On Monday’s Zoom, Autry didn’t provide many specifics on whether Bell would continue to come off the bench or get re-inserted into the starting line-up. What the Syracuse basketball head coach did say is that Bell is “an important part” of the squad, and he needs to get going for the ‘Cuse to have success.

After putting forth a few big-time performances in late November and into mid-December, Moore has played a combined nine minutes over the Orange’s last two contests, and he hasn’t scored in the group’s past three games.

Moore, who is making 31.8 percent from beyond the arc in 2024-25, is working hard to continue improving on both ends of the floor, Autry says, noting that, like most college freshmen, he’s adjusting to the level of play and the longevity of a college campaign. Autry adds that he wants Moore to keep being aggressive in hunting for his shot, while also taking care of the ball better and cutting down on his turnovers.

Autry was also asked about the ‘Cuse having issues with turnovers as a collective unit. For example, Syracuse basketball committed 14 miscues against FSU, and the Seminoles converted those mistakes into 16 points.

For all of 2024-25, the Orange is now averaging 12.7 turnovers per game, and that’s a fairly sizable number. Autry is hopeful that the return of junior guard J.J. Starling, who had missed seven contests due to a left-hand injury, will help Syracuse basketball reduce its turnovers.

Autry added that the Orange’s big men have to do a better job of reading situations and getting the ball into the right people’s hands (i.e., guards such as Starling).