UNCASVILLE, Conn. - Syracuse’s first exhibition under Gerry McNamara went sideways almost immediately, and the biggest blow came before the Orange could settle in.
Aiden Tobiason, the starting shooting guard and one of Syracuse’s expected perimeter threats, left early in the first half Tuesday night with a right hamstring issue and did not return to the game in any meaningful way. He limped off after a five-second violation on the third possession, made his way to the locker room, then later reappeared on the bench. He briefly used a stationary bike, but by halftime he was in street clothes as Syracuse’s 72-52 loss to UConn unfolded without him.
“Just a tough way for him to come down here,” McNamara said postgame. “I know he was looking forward to this game.”
Without Tobiason, the Orange never found much rhythm on offense. Syracuse shot 31% from the field and finished 4-for-19 from 3-point range.
Sadiq White Jr. led the way with 17 points and was the only Orange player to reach double figures. Kiyan Anthony, who replaced Tobiason, went 2-for-11 and scored six points in 30 minutes.
The timing made the loss sting even more because Tobiason was supposed to give Syracuse a different kind of scoring punch. The junior Temple transfer arrived off a breakout sophomore season with the Owls, jumping from 4.8 points per game to 15.3 while shooting 48% overall. His 33.8% mark from deep last season came on 4.3 attempts per game, and McNamara had also pointed to the more telling number: a 61.2% true shooting percentage.
That kind of shooting profile was exactly what Syracuse needed against UConn, especially with Mark Morano also unavailable before the game.
“Obviously, Aiden going out early, not having Mark tonight, we couldn’t really loosen up the perimeter from the 3-point line,” McNamara said postgame.
McNamara had viewed Tobiason as more than just another wing shooter. The coach had brought him along with Siena transfer guard Gavin Doty for his Atlantic Coast Conference Media Day obligations in Charlotte, North Carolina, a sign of how much trust he had in Tobiason’s role.
“He gives us a couple of different options,” McNamara said postgame. “He gives us another threat from the 3-point line.
But he’s also spent a lot of time at the point guard position, so he knows multiple positions for us. … He’s a pretty talented player.”
Luke Wilson saw the same thing from the middle of the floor. The Syracuse center said the Orange had guard depth, but losing Tobiason still changed the game.
“But him being one of our main shooters,” Wilson said, fresh out of the locker room, “it was definitely a big hurt for us, in a way.”
After the game, McNamara had no update on Tobiason’s status. He said he had not yet spoken with SU associate athletic trainer Mike Mangano and was focused on what comes next.
“I’m more concerned about long-term,” McNamara said postgame. “I haven’t had a chance to sit down with Mike, our trainer, and figure out what the next step is and how he actually looks.”
Amarri Monroe, who said he didn’t have any new information either, stressed the need for Syracuse to clean up its offense.
“We’ve got to find a way to get better on offense,” he told The Daily Orange.
Meanwhile, Tobiason moved through the arena after the game wearing a navy blue tracksuit, scrolling on his phone and carrying a pizza box.
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