The interior defense is finally cracking. ISU is 8-for-8 inside the arc since halftime with four dunks.

I think the answer is self-evident.

Iowa State is 7-for-7 this half, SU is 2-for-3 with 3 turnovers. Gonna find out if these guys want to win really soon.

Great seal by Kyle to keep that driving lane open for Starling.

The high screens that turn Kyle, Souare, or Betsey into a ballhandler and decision-maker are... not ideal.

The hitch in Starling's free throw stroke is even more pronounced than it was two years ago (he had it as part of his regular release at that time, also).

Over the last few days, the "fall behind, then catch up" plan has become a little tiresome. At least SU has tightened up their defense inside the arc, as Iowa State made only 2-of-7 there to close the half. Just take care of the ball in the second half and they'll be in it.

Making 3's is erasing a lot of curious decisions on offense.

Way too much settling for 3-pointers on offense.

It's been a good and bad trip to Vegas for the Orange. At least one very good thing has happened and knocking off Iowa State will make it even better. Our @dsafetyguy.bsky.social explains. www.si.com/college/syra...

Syracuse has made consecutive shots in this game twice. Twice.

Anthony just scored, but this is a bad unit on the floor. Two shooting guards who want to shoot, a stretch four who wants to shoot, a two who should shoot, and a screener.

The Kyle dunk-Betsey 3-Souare draw the foul combo is a good show of life. Time to see if they can build on it.

Orange really need to take good shots and not give into the urge to try to do too much/make things happen.

Kind of interesting how, 5 1/2 games ago, the consensus was that Syracuse would score a bunch and the questions were entirely about the defense.

Times like this are a real argument for a more structured offense. Say, get Nate Kingz a couple more looks and see what happens.

Arguably the biggest challenge facing Autry right now is figuring out who is going to play the four since Betsey has gotten off to a cold shooting start. Betsey's early shotmaking yesterday made it easy to give him lots of rope.

Syracuse gets right back to it in the Players Era event in Vegas in a couple hours. This time, they take on Kansas, a team that has a few similarities to who the Orange saw yesterday. www.si.com/college/syra...

I know it's not what anyone wants to hear now, but this game raised the ceiling for the Orange this season.

Just watch for the rotation of the ball to change to confirm there was contact with a player.

Furthermore, they're shooting 61% inside the arc. Get inside and make trouble.

Houston has four players with three fouls and one with four. The Orange need to be aggressive on offense and drive to the rim. Only Souare has as many as three fouls. Now is not the time to be timid.

For yet another season, the principle of verticality is still not understood in college basketball.

Syracuse's willingness to go to the basket since halftime is paying dividends now and will likely do so the remainder of the half. Can't be a one-dimensional offensive team, settling for perimeter shots.

On a greater scale, every Syracuse fan should feel a lot better about the team's defense. It's one thing to do it against some small schools, but tonight is very promising for the course of the season.

Things I would like in the second half: - More designed plays for 3's - A couple more minutes from Zephir to get other guys rest - Less conceded 3's on defense because the interior defense has been so good

No complaints about the defense (HOU is 4/16 on 2's), but the real concern for Syracuse is the offensive possessions where they hurt themselves by trying to do too much, settling for bad shots, etc.

Orange have made just one of their last nine shots and 15 of their last 18 shots have been 3's. Their legs are going to tell the tale in this game.

Some of these ill-advised 3's (Anthony from almost 30 feet, White in the corner) might be coming back to bite the Orange already.

Physical endurance is going to be a concern, especially for George. Not sure how much he is going to be able to rest in a game as amped up as this one looks to be.

Orange have to not panic when the double comes. Houston will double briefly, then retreat, unless a trap opportunity with a boundary line is there.

No wrap on Starling's right thumb for this game.

Shooting thumb injury and its wrap on Starling suddenly extremely evident.

He may have fouled out in 11 minutes, but you're not telling White to play any different in the future.

First three games. But, you knew that.

Second half shooting: Syracuse - 10/12 Monmouth - 5/16 It's 27-16 since halftime. This is a lot like the first two games, only with foul trouble sprinkled in. Also, SU now up on the glass, 27-26.

Nate Kingz is officially here.

If you want to feel better about how this game is going, Monmouth is shooting 6-of-23 since the eight-minute mark of the first half.

9-0 run for SU before the technical, Monmouth closes the half with a 7-2 burst to get within three. It was really close to being over. And now, we'll see. Monmouth struggled in the second half of their last two games. We'll see if the Orange can get to them, too.

That technical may have saved Monmouth from getting a significant half-ending run put on them to blow the game open. SU had nine straight points before it and look like they smelled blood in the water.

In addition to having fouls (11) and turnovers (8) start to really pile up, Monmouth has made just two of their last eight shots.

The Orange press isn't generating immediate dividends, but it is keeping the tempo up, which is something Autry wants from his team.

Two of Monmouth's three best players have two fouls after 3:36 of play.

Syracuse returns to the hardwood for a late night matchup against Monmouth. Our @dsafetyguy.bsky.social lets you know what the Orange can expect from the Hawks. www.si.com/college/syra...

The Orange defense ramped up in the second half, powering SU in a blowout of Drexel in Philadelphia by forcing lots of misses and turnovers. Our @dsafetyguy.bsky.social has the details: www.si.com/college/syra...

Syracuse is giving up 0.764 point per possession.

The rebounding difference between the two teams has effectively been erased in the second half. Drexel's edge has been clipped to 34-31.

2/16 FG, four turnovers in ten minutes. The Orange defense has effectively ended this one.

Could get used to this full-court press. Just saying...

The Syracuse guards (plural intentional) play with intelligence and patience. They should collectively limit mistakes this season, which will help in some tight games.