Syracuse men’s basketball will open the season from the ACC’s lower tier, at least according to the preseason poll.
The Orange were picked to finish 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Poll, which was released Tuesday. Syracuse collected 353 points, landing between No.
10 SMU and No. 12 Pitt.
Duke was the clear choice at the top, earning 45 of 48 first-place votes and arriving as the conference favorite again. Virginia, Louisville and Miami were the only other teams to receive first-place votes, and they checked in second, third and fourth, respectively.
Syracuse also came up empty in the league’s preseason honors, with no player named to the Preseason All-ACC First or Second Team.
The projection follows a difficult season last year, when the Orange finished 14th in the conference, lost to SMU in the ACC Tournament First Round and missed the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year.
This offseason brought a major reset for Syracuse. Adrian Autry was dismissed, and Gerry McNamara was brought in as the new head coach. McNamara arrived with three players from Siena - Gavin Doty, Tasman Goodrick and Francis Folefac - and also landed freshman Ryan Moesch after flipping him to the Orange.
He added more help through the portal, bringing in Aiden Tobiason from Temple and Amarri Monroe from Quinnipiac. At his Media Day press conference Friday, McNamara said his roster build centered on players with “length and athleticism,” he said in his Media Day press conference Friday.
The Orange return only two players with starting experience, just like they did last year: top recruits Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. McNamara recruited both of them while he was an SU assistant coach, and he pointed to that relationship as a reason they stayed.
“Me and Sadiq also had a conversation after last season like, if we come back, there’s no way that we’re in the same position,” Anthony said Friday. “We gotta make sure everything is right, and we put our trust in GMac.”
Before the regular season begins on Nov. 2 against New Haven, Syracuse will go through exhibitions against UConn, Siena and Niagara. McNamara has also lined up a demanding nonconference schedule that includes Oklahoma, St. John’s, Providence, Rutgers and Indiana.
In Other News...
Syracuse Has A Kicking Problem Fran Brown Cant Ignore
Syracuses kicking game has become one of the clearest problem spots in a season where little margin already exists. The Orange have missed more field goals per game than anyone in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, and the issue showed up again in a recent loss that included missed kicks and a botched punt. Fran Brown said after the game that the special teams struggles were part of what went wrong, and the staff is now trying to steady a unit that has repeatedly left points on the field.
Freshman Shay Barker has been named the starting kicker going forward, giving Syracuse at least some clarity at a position that has been in flux. Even with that decision, the bigger question is whether the Orange can turn enough of those scoring chances into points to change outcomes in close games. In a season where every possession matters, the kicking game has stopped being a side note and become something Brown cant afford to keep watching unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads Into Louisville With One Problem Nobody Trusts
The pregame conversation around Syracuses trip to Louisville has centered on two things that can tilt a college football Saturday in a hurry: quarterback stability and whether the Orange can keep up with a Cardinals offense that has earned plenty of respect. A panel of sports reporters and analysts leaned heavily toward Louisville in their predictions, and the concern for Syracuse was not just winning straight up but even staying close enough to cover the spread.
For Syracuse, that kind of consensus puts the spotlight on a problem that has lingered all season. The quarterback situation has been unsettled, and against a Louisville team viewed as dangerous on offense, every small mistake becomes a larger issue. It leaves the Orange heading into the matchup with little outside confidence and a lot to prove before anyone is willing to trust them in a game like this. [Read more 🡒]
Carmelo Anthony Just Gave Syracuse Fans Another Reason To Feel Close
Carmelo Anthony keeps finding ways to stay connected to Central New York, and his latest move feels especially personal. The former Syracuse star recently bought a nearly 60-acre property in Brookfield, New York, giving him a rural retreat that includes a farmhouse, cabins, a chalet and a large pond with recreational features.
Anthony shared a video giving fans a look at the place, and his son Kiyan said the purchase was meant to serve as a family retreat. For Syracuse supporters who still claim Carmelo as one of their own, it is another reminder that the bond between Anthony and the region has never really gone away. [Read more 🡒]