Las Vegas – Playing impactful college basketball games against quality teams this early in the season provides coaches and players with an understanding of where they are and what they need to improve upon.

Syracuse is 0-2 after losses to Houston and Kansas here in the Players Era Festival.

And while the Orange has played hard here without leading scorer Donnie Freeman, there is work to be done.

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Players Era Festival Day 2: Syracuse vs Kansas

Free throws

Syracuse has been outscored 37-25 from the free throw line in its two games here.

What’s even more disheartening is the Orange took more free throws than its opponents. It just could not make enough of them.

SU missed 27 free throws in two games. That is too many missed opportunities.

SU is 25-of-52 in two Players Era Festival games. That’s 48%. The Orange right now ranks 364th out of 365 Division I teams in free throw shooting percentage. Through six games, SU is shooting 56.2% from the line.

“Just more reps I guess,” JJ Starling said when asked how to fix or adjust that trend. “Just gotta be mentally focused and locked in on that. We know that’s an area we gotta clean up. I know me personally, I’ve spent time trying to do that. This team wants to win. It’s not like we’re gonna miss free throws on purpose.”

One of the more damaging offshoots of the free throw problem is how teams will guard Syracuse down the stretch of tough games.

William Kyle, for all his hustle, heart and athletic ability, is a 33.3% free throw shooter. By the end of Tuesday’s game, fans were openly hooting at him when he went to the line. He went 1-for-6 against the Jayhawks.

Bill Self was asked whether SU’s free throw woes changed the way his team guarded the Orange.

The Kansas coach paused for a few seconds before answering.

“In some ways, yes,” he said.

The Jayhawks did not want to put SU on the line early and allow it to reach the bonus quickly. But once SU was in the bonus, all bets were off. Kansas was going to put SU on the line instead of allowing a dunk.

Rebounding

Kansas outrebounded SU 49-29 Tuesday.

That is a staggering advantage.

It allowed the Jayhawks to mitigate the turnover margin, which SU completely dominated. Kansas committed 15 turnovers, SU committed two. The Orange pressure took advantage of a Jayhawks team with limited ballhandlers right now.

The big rebound discrepancy allowed the Jayhawks more possessions.

Kyle grabbed nine missed shots. But no other Orange player collected more than five rebounds.

“We didn’t do a good job on the glass,” Syracuse coach Adrian Autry said, “and I think that’s a thing we have to continue to work on and get better at.”

Tuesday’s huge rebounding deficit, Autry said, “impacted the game.”

He was less concerned with SU’s rebounding effort against Houston. The Cougars won that battle 49-43.

But a telling stat from that game? Houston outscored SU 21-12 in second-chance points.

The Orange, you might recall, lost in overtime to the Cougars.

Shot selection

Syracuse has taken a lot of 3-point shots in these two games.

The Orange is not making many of them.

SU is 15-of-61 from the 3-point line. That’s 24.6%.

And Tyler Betsey is doing some serious heavy lifting. He is 8-for-18 in two SU losses. Everybody else is 7-of-43.

Nate Kingz is 2-of-12. Kiyan Anthony is 0-for-10.

Defenses seem all too happy to give the Orange those shots. Many of them have been open looks.

Syracuse is shooting 29.5% from the 3-point line this season and ranks 286th in 3-point percentage nationally (kenpom.com).

Conversely, the Orange is making 58.3% of its 2-point attempts. That ranks 34th nationally.

Syracuse has to take some 3s. But does it need to take 30 a game?

Probably not.

Starling wants Syracuse to attack the paint more.

Which, yes.

But that will also put the Orange on the free throw line, which has been a little bit terrifying.