Syracuse’s first exhibition game of the 2026-27 season gave Sadiq White Jr. a chance to say the quiet part out loud.
After the Orange fell 72-52 to UConn on Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., the sophomore forward didn’t soften his critique of what went wrong. The message was simple: the team has to do the little things better, and he has to be part of the fix.
“Just execute down the stretch, get into the second action, and to set screens for each other. The little things.
We got beat on the little things today. Ultimately, I can't go out there and have one rebound.
That's unacceptable on my behalf. So, I've got to get in there,stick my nose in there and just be better all around.
Get in there for my guys. Help them out on that end.
Yeah. Just executing down the stretch."
White backed up the honesty with production. He scored a team-high 17 points and knocked down two 3-pointers, a clear sign that the work he put in this offseason was showing up.
But the rebounding number stood out just as much for the wrong reason, and that’s where the next step has to come for one of Syracuse’s most athletic players. He has the leaping ability to matter on the glass; now he has to pair that with strength, physical play and a stronger willingness to rebound.
The 6-foot-9 North Carolina native played in 31 games as a freshman last season, putting up 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He chose to remain with Syracuse through the coaching change from Adrian Autry to Gerry McNamara, and his athletic profile makes him one of the Orange’s most important pieces this season.
Syracuse also came out of the opener with some clear team-wide concerns. The Orange were beaten on the boards 34-26 and shot just 30 percent from the field, numbers that made the gap against UConn tough to ignore.
The schedule gives Syracuse a quicker chance to clean things up. The Orange return Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
ET against Siena in Loudonville, N.Y. It’s a matchup with a mid-major opponent, which should give Syracuse a better shot at tightening the details that slipped against UConn.
That game will carry extra meaning for Gerry McNamara, along with Gavin Doty, Francis Folefac and Tasman Goodrick. All four were with Siena last season when the Saints won the MAAC Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament. Siena will also raise its MAAC championship banner as part of the day, since it’s the only opportunity to bring everyone back together this season.
Syracuse’s third and final preseason game comes Oct. 24 against Niagara in Buffalo.
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