The Syracuse University men's basketball team lost to the SMU Mustangs 86-69 in the team's opening round game of the ACC tournament on Tuesday afternoon in Charlotte, NC. 

The Orange (likely) finish the season at a disappointing 15-17 and 6-13 inside Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play.

Nate Kingz led the way for the Orange with 25 points while Boopie Miller had 25 for the Mustangs.

Here's what you need to know:

--Syracuse entered the game as 4.5-point underdog but trailed by only one point, 39-38, at halftime.  

--Kingz led the first-half scoring with 17 points, including nine points from the three- point line.  The senior guard finished with 25 points along with six rebounds and two assists. 

--Tyler Betsey had 15 for the Orange, while JJ Starling had just two in his final game in an Orange uniform.

--SMU struggled shooting from beyond the arc in the first half, going just 3-of-17 from deep. The Mustangs added eight threes in the second half, finishing 11-33 from the arc.

-Freshman Jaden Toombs recorded a double-double in the first half with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Toombs finished with 16 points and 11 boards. 

-The Mustangs never relinquished their lead in the second half. SMU's double-digit win was aided by a 24-10 run for the first 10 minutes of the second half.  

Despite the loss in the ACC Tournament, the season is not officially over yet. While the Orange are not going to be chosen for the NCAA Tournament, there are now multiple tournaments for non-NCAA tournament selected teams. Those options include: 

-National Invitational Tournament. Existing since 1932, this tournament involves 32 teams. 

- College Basketball Crown-An eight team tournament played in Nevada. 

-College Basketball Invitational-Created in 2008, the tournament features a field of 16 teams. 

A decision on Syracuse's future will likely be made Sunday evening following the revealing of the NCAA tournament field at 6:00 p.m. ET. We'll have much more coverage throughout the next few days here at Syracuse Roundtable.

If Syracuse does not participate in a postseason tournament, the loss to SMU could be the final game for Adrian Autry as head coach. A report from earlier this week said that the university is expected to make a change.

If that does happen, Autry will finish his three-year tenure at 49-48.

Earlier this week, Syracuse announced a new chancellor, which should help bring some clarity to the situation. A new athletic director also needs to be hired, and that situation is also coming into clearer focus as we learn more about the candidates.

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