After losing three consecutive games in the highly-touted Players Era Championship, Syracuse University men's basketball coach Adrian Autry is facing staunch criticism from some sections of Orange Nation.

Take this post on "X," for example, from SU alum and Major League Baseball writer Christopher Smith, who has called for Autry to be fired.

20th blowout loss in a little over two years under Adrian Autry. Don’t make excuse of no Donnie. Kansas and Iowa State were without their best players. It’s a wash. Autry needs to be fired now before Syracuse is done by Jan. 1 AGAIN.

The hyperlink above has all the blowout losses that Smith is referencing.

Syracuse is 4-3 on the season and has gone 38-34 in Autry's two-plus year tenure at the helm of the program. The Orange haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2020-21, which is an embarrassment for one of the flagship programs in college basketball.

The frustration among fans is certainly warranted, but is the criticism of Autry personally fair? Let's examine all things at play.

The reality? You don't get time to build anymore

Back in the day, you could take a job, start recruiting, build a roster, and let that roster grow together. It may take you 3-4 years to turn things around, but everyone understand that was the timeline necessary to bring in your own players and turn them into a team that is ready to win.

That's not the case now. In the world of NIL and the transfer portal, you are expected to be able to bring in players right away, and compete right away. Syracuse has a young team, with three freshman (Kiyan Anthony, Tyler Betsey, Sadiq White Jr.), playing prominent roles. Growing pains are understandable in that regard, but in today's climate? There really isn't time for them. You have to be able to compete right away because you are expected to bring in players that are ready to compete right away.

Another one? This team might not get the chance to grow

J.J. Starling, William Kyle III and Nate Kingz are going to be lost to graduation after the season ends. Those will be three massive losses for Autry's team, and beyond that? You never know what will happen in the transfer portal. Could White, Donnie Freeman or Betsey leave town and go chase bigger dollars and more winning? Of course they could.

Could Anthony head to the NBA Draft after one season? It's all possible, which means that Autry might not get the chance to have his group grow and evolve together. College sports are now a year-to-year enterprise, and each year will look very different than the last, so if Syracuse misses the opportunity this year, they may be in an even worse spot next year.

Also a reality? Chemistry and growth are hard

Everything above is true. No one in college sports has patience anymore. Because it's possible to turn things around quickly, everyone expects that everyone can turn things around quickly. The reality is that it takes time to build and it takes time to gel on the court. We are only seven games in, and this team can still get better.

Not an excuse, but playing at less than 100 percent is less than ideal

Donnie Freeman is averaging 17.8 ppg. He is the Orange's best offensive player. Not having him for the last three games is a big deal and a crippling blow to the lineup. Sure, other good teams play without stars and win, but Syracuse isn't other teams right now. Not having your best player is a problem and puts more pressure on those three freshman, who are still growing.

The real test

Autry has proven that he can recruit and that he can do well in the portal. He's proven he can get a team playing hard, fast and aggressive defensively. The real mark of how "good" he is will be in how this team grows over the course of the year. With a weak ACC in front of them, the Orange will have a chance to make noise, but can they take it?

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