Seth Greenberg sees Syracuse’s season through three simple lenses: culture, retention and potential.
That was the framework the longtime coach turned ESPN analyst laid out during a recent appearance on the “Inside Syracuse Basketball” podcast, where he broke down the Orange and the rest of the ACC. And right at the center of his Syracuse read was new head coach Gerry McNamara.
Greenberg opened by pointing to McNamara’s introductory press conference last March, saying the way he handled the moment left a strong impression.
“I’m a really big fan of Gerry McNamara,’’ Greenberg said, “I’ve always been a fan of Gerry Mac, but I was even more of a fan on how he handled his press conference and when he talked about a guy I love, Adrian Autry, and the manner in which, the respect he had for him.”
That mattered to Greenberg because of what McNamara said about taking the Siena job and his hope that he would never have to come back to Syracuse if it meant Autry had succeeded. Greenberg said that kind of respect and continuity stands out to him.
“To me, that’s the essence of that,” said Greenberg, who had given Autry his start in college coaching during his time at Virginia Tech. “That’s really important to me. So look, I’m a big Gerry fan.”
For Greenberg, the challenge now is turning Syracuse into a program built on the kind of culture McNamara had at Siena. The Orange have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2021, and Greenberg believes the newcomers McNamara brought with him could help shape the locker room fast.
Those transfers are guard Gavin Doty and forwards Francis Folefac and Tasman Goodrick.
“I think those three guys that he brought with him, quite honestly, are really pivotal,” Greenberg said. “Not that they’re going to be the three best players.
They’re all good players, but they’re the culture creators. They’re the guys that have played for him.
They’re the guys that understand what he wants and how he wants it done. They’re the guys that can help coach the locker room.
They’re the guys that will set the standard of how we do things.”
Greenberg also highlighted the value of keeping two young pieces from last year’s roster in place: Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony.
White, a 6-9 forward, and Anthony, a 6-5 guard, both played in almost every game as freshmen, started a few, and had stretches of success and struggle. For Greenberg, simply holding onto White was a major win.
Referring to the incredibly athletic White, Greenberg said, “The ability to keep a guy with that much upside, I think was really, really huge.”
Anthony, meanwhile, has the kind of scoring instinct that jumps off the page, but Greenberg made it clear there’s more to his game that has to come.
“He’s wired to score,” Greenberg said, “He’s got to be tougher,” Greenberg said. “He’s got to defend more consistently.
He’s got to make good decisions in terms of shot selection. But he’s a talent.”
Greenberg also singled out another young player as someone who could matter in a big way: Mark Morano Mahmutovic, the 6-foot-6 wing from Slovenia.
“I think he’ll be a really, really important piece for them,” Greenberg said.
Beyond Syracuse, Greenberg also weighed in on Duke, saying the Blue Devils’ second team would be good enough to rank in the Top 25. He also touched on which teams can push Duke near the top of the ACC standings and offered a sleeper pick for the league race.
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