Opponent Preview: Everything to know about New Hampshire

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Adrian Autry’s long-anticipated tenure at the helm begins against New Hampshire on Monday night.  

Appointed as Syracuse’s first new head coach in 47 years, it’s been a busy offseason for Autry. He successfully retained SU’s six-man 2022 recruiting class, added four high-profile transfers and announced a pivot from the Orange’s coveted 2-3 zone to a man-to-man defensive set.  

In its first two exhibition games, Syracuse defeated Daemen and The College of Saint Rose 81-68 and 86-61, respectively. In both contests, the Orange shot over 40% from the field and looked comfortable in their new-look defense — jumping passing lanes to rack up 21 total steals. This will be the first of three nonconference matchups before SU competes in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. 

Here’s everything to know about New Hampshire before Syracuse’s regular-season opener at the JMA Wireless Dome:

All-time series

Monday’s matchup will be the first between Syracuse and UNH. The two programs have not played each other before.

KenPom odds

Syracuse has a 90% chance of winning, with a projected score of 77-64.

The Wildcats’ report

In similar fashion to SU, New Hampshire opens the season under new head coach Nathan Davis, following Bill Herrion’s 18 years leading the Wildcats. In the 2022-23 season, UNH finished 15-15 overall, going 9-7 in the America East Conference before crashing out of the playoffs to No. 2-seeded UMass Lowell. 

New Hampshire is a composed and disciplined team that values its possessions on offense. The Wildcats finished in KenPom’s top 25 in turnover percentage last season but struggled to generate points inside the arc (42.8%, fourth-worst in the nation). Defensively, UNH did well guarding behind the perimeter and ranked near the top of the country in opposing 3-point percentage (31.4%). 

Though UNH boasted four players averaging double-digit points, it only managed to return one in forward Clarence Daniels. A 2022-23 AEC All-Conference First Team selection, Daniels averaged almost 16 points in his first season with the Wildcats and ranked eighth nationally in rebounds per game (10.7).

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How Syracuse beats New Hampshire

Syracuse will likely have its way on Monday, but a win stems from SU’s production in the paint. 

New Hampshire’s lackluster 6.8% block percentage last year translated into just 2.6 rejections per game and Daniels was the only Wildcat averaging double-digit rebounds. This will be welcome news for 7-foot-4 Naheem McLeod, who finished with 20 points on 10-for-11 shooting across Syracuse’s two exhibition games.

But despite his impressive frame, McLeod will need help from Chris Bell, Maliq Brown and Benny Williams — unless Williams’ suspension persists. Bell, who erupted for 19 points against Saint Rose, dealt with rebounding pains throughout his freshman year and will need to develop a presence on the boards. Brown, who saw little time in the two exhibition contests due to injury precautions, according to Autry, must continue his physical play from last season when crashing the glass. 

This should be a tune-up game for the Orange — an opportunity to experiment with new rotations and playstyles. It will be interesting to see how Quadir Copeland and Kyle Cuffe Jr. will be used off the bench and whether Bell and Justin Taylor opt to drive inside or continue their streaky outside shooting. Fans should also look forward to their first real glimpse at Judah Mintz and J.J. Starling, an ubertalented backcourt capable of taking over at any time.

Stat to know: 16.3

Mintz averaged 16.3 points per game last season to rank third in Division I among freshmen. He also earned 2022-23 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team honors after starting all 32 games for Syracuse, averaging 4.6 assists and 1.8 steals. 

One of 20 candidates named to the 2024 Bob Cousy Award, Mintz is primed for a breakout sophomore year after testing NBA Draft waters this offseason. At the point guard position, he’ll be tasked with spearheading Autry’s run-and-gun offense while holding the ability to make something out of nothing in SU’s halfcourt sets.

Player to watch: Clarence Daniels, forward, No. 21

Daniels, now in his senior season, is New Hampshire’s go-to guy. He averaged a double-double with 15.7 points during his junior year, including a career-high 34 points in a 74-71 overtime win against Boston College on Dec. 6, 2022. 

The lefty is equipped with a stellar post-up game but can also face opponents up and shoot from range. Able to create offense from either wing, expect Davis to give Daniels the green-light for any sort of isolation play.