Why Kouwe is still 'optimistic' about Syracuse's NCAA Tournament chances

Despite recent struggles and a brutal loss to a mid-major opponent, former Syracuse guard Andrew Kouwe still believes the 2025-26 Orange basketball team will still make the NCAA postseason.

Kouwe, who played at SU from 2000-04, and was teammates with legend Carmelo Anthony, joined the Juice on the Cuse Podcast, presented by Bleav and On SI, to discuss his thoughts on the Orange now that they are nearly a third of the way through the season and only have one more non-conference game left before the start of ACC play.

“There's going to be another bump here or there, but if we can keep going up, (pick up a) few key wins, they can definitely get in (the NCAA Tournament)," Kouwe said. "I'm optimistic."

Despite Hofstra loss, opportunities are available

Part of that optimism was dampened by a loss to Hofstra last week. The Orange lost to the Pride for the first time in school history, 70-69, which has put a dent in Syracuse's NCAA resume.

The Orange also struggled against teams they were heavily favored against, winning by only 14 against Mercyhurst and a narrow 91-83 win over Northeastern on Saturday.

But Kouwe said with ACC play starting soon, there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of.

“The Hofstra loss was was was tough, and you don't want that to be on your resume," Kouwe said. "But it is and it can all be erased with another big win against an ACC team.”

The odds of that will greatly increase with the return of Donnie Freeman, who has missed the last several games with an injury. Kouwe mentioned on a previous podcast that Freeman is SU's most important player, and his return will be key for a team desperate to pick up signature wins.

“I am hopeful with Donnie Freeman coming back, that that is going to be another push," Kouwe said. "It's because of what he can provide and what he can give to others. He can attract defenses, he can score, he can rebound, it opens things up, he can do a lot of things.”

How does free throw shooting improve?

Another topic Kouwe discussed was Syracuse's struggles from the free throw line. For the season, the Orange is shooting just 60.1, which ranks near the bottom of the NCAA. Earlier in the week, they were dead last.

Kouwe said that when he played for Jim Boeheim, they worked on free throws at the end of practice, putting pressure on the shooter.

“It used to be like, 'Carmelo,' if you miss (this free throw), everyone's running three sprints. You do stuff like that to kind of put pressure on the kid. But at the end of the day, there's no pressure like there is in a game. It's like a professional golfer taking a four foot putt. It's just having the kind of confidence and just slowing everything down.”

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