photo by: AP Photo/Lucas Peltier

Syracuse guard Nate Kingz, right, celebrates with forward Sadiq White Jr. (0) after scoring against Houston during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025, in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas — Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr. ended his postgame media availability, alongside teammates Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller, with a promise: “I’m going to let you guys know that we’re bringing a lot of energy in the morning.”

That’s a big part of Council’s role as the self-described leader of the Jayhawks — especially in the absence of star guard Darryn Peterson — and he’ll certainly need to provide it on Tuesday, as the Jayhawks face back-to-back games for the first time this year when they take on Syracuse at 2:30 p.m. Central time.

It’s the continuation of the Players Era tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, one that on its opening day saw KU outlast Notre Dame for a 71-61 win before the Orange fell just short against No. 3 Houston, 78-74, in overtime.

Adrian Autry’s bunch turned in an impressive showing under any circumstance, but particularly given that it was lacking its leading scorer Donnie Freeman, a sophomore forward averaging 17.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, who will not play in the Players Era. Guard JJ Starling, a star for the 2024-25 team, is also coming back from his own recent injury.

Syracuse’s heroic effort against last year’s national runner-up relied on contributions from a variety of players. Former Cincinnati reserve Tyler Betsey, who had played just 38 minutes on the year before 30 on Monday alone, came off the bench to lead his team with 16 points. Five other players reached double figures, including highly touted freshman Kiyan Anthony (10), Naithan George (11), Nate Kingz (10), William Kyle III (12 plus 10 rebounds) and Starling (11).

The Orange embarked on an 11-0 run over the final three minutes, shutting out the dynamic Cougars as Kyle raced into the paint for a wide-open dunk and Betsey tied the game on a 3-pointer with 55 seconds to go.

Kyle’s close-range attempt at the buzzer got blocked by Joseph Tugler. Syracuse stuck with it in overtime, but a key 3-pointer by Emanuel Sharp put Houston up five and the Cougars didn’t relinquish their lead, forcing a series of ugly attempts from deep late.

The biggest factor in Syracuse’s loss may have been its free-throw shooting, as the Orange went 12-for-29 (41.4%) from the line. Syracuse had previously been an undistinguished 349th in the nation at the line, shooting a comparatively sharp 61.2%.

In any case, the Orange fell to 4-1 but nonetheless proved their mettle as they look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 (and the first time under Autry). They had racked up their early wins against mid-majors, including in a dicey 78-73 victory over Monmouth on Nov. 18.

Anthony, the son of former NBA star Carmelo Anthony, is the top scorer among available Syracuse players, even though he has come off the bench in three of his five appearances. The 6-foot-5 freshman from Brooklyn, New York, is averaging 13.8 points with a well-rounded offensive game.

Freeman’s absence on Monday meant the first career start for freshman forward Sadiq White Jr., who stands 6-foot-9 alongside the 6-foot-9 Kyle. He had four points and four rebounds in 19 minutes of action. The rest of the lineup features three guards with George, Kingz and Starling, meaning KU won’t have to deal with the size disadvantage it has faced against a couple of its high-major opponents this year — and therefore presenting another opportunity for forwards Bidunga and Tiller to go to work in the post as they did against Notre Dame.

So the Jayhawks know they will face Syracuse on Tuesday. What is not yet clear and may not be determined until as late as 11:30 p.m. Pacific Time or so on Tuesday is whom they will play and when they will play on Wednesday.

With a 10-point win on the board, KU can essentially be sure it will not have to hang around and play on Thursday (which is reserved for the bottom few teams). But its opponent on Wednesday will originate from a ranking of all 18 Players Era teams sorted by record and a series of tiebreakers.