Less than two hours before tip-off, Syracuse Orange fans learned the team’s leading scorer and one of its best players would be sidelined for the entire Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
Despite Donnie
Freeman not being available, Syracuse still managed to put up a fight versus what is currently a top-three team in the country.
“This is a team that’s been put together to be able to pick each other up. This team is built that way,” coach Adrian Autry said after the Orange’s 78-74 overtime loss to No. 3 Houston. “These players believe in each other. We spent a lot of time in that, and so, our gameplan didn’t change. We prepared the same way as (if) he was playing.”
Outside competing against a top-three opponent, the Orange had to do so without arguably their most valuable player. Up to this point of the season, Freeman had stuffed the stat sheet. Prior to Syracuse’s game versus the Cougars on Monday, he was top-two among the Orange in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocks.
Even though the Orange would be without their starting two-way forward, George said Freeman provided motivation for the team to take the court and compete.
“We all know it’s the next guy mentality we got,” George, who played a team-high 38 minutes against Houston, said. “Every guy on the roster can play out there and can compete. So he was really encouraging for us to just go out there and fight like we did.”
In Freeman’s place, a few forwards notably helped to fill the void.
Sadiq White Jr. got the start, bringing much-needed athleticism and defensive energy that was needed against a team like Houston. White finished with four points, five rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes.
Off the bench, Syracuse got a big boost, especially offensively, from Tyler Betsey.
It was Betsey’s first game in nine days. An ankle injury led to him playing just six minutes versus Drexel on Nov. 15, then completely missing Syracuse’s game against Monmouth.
In his return to the lineup, Betsey shined. He finished with a career-high 16 points, going 5/13 overall from the floor and 4/8 from three. His last three led to the Orange tying with the Cougars and forcing overtime.
“He’s been playing well for us. We just encourage him to continue to be aggressive,” Autry said.
Syracuse will need to continue relying on Betsey and White to fill the void going forward, at least for Syracuse’s next two games in Las Vegas with Freeman confirmed to be out for the whole tournament.
The team said Freeman has a “lower body injury.” During the game, Freeman could be visibly seen with a walking boot on his right foot. Reports indicate Freeman was injured during Syracuse’s game versus Monmouth, and it is not related to right foot injury he had last season.
Autry labeled Freeman’s absence as a “quick pause.”
“I don’t have all the details right now, but this is not something that will be season ending or anything like that,” Autry said.
According to the team, Freeman will be reevaluated when he and the rest of the Orange return to Syracuse.
