Charlotte, N.C. - Syracuse got the update it wanted on Garwey Dual, and it sounds like the Orange are finally back at full strength.
Coach Gerry McNamara said Wednesday at the ACC’s Basketball TipOff that Dual, the likely starter at point guard, has been a full participant in practice for the past week after missing nearly two months because of a dislocated collarbone.
“He’s back,’' McNamara said. ”Garway’s back full go at practice.’'
Dual, a 6-foot-5 transfer from McNeese State, was hurt in a July practice and cleared for full contact a little over a week ago. McNamara said the return has been a smooth one.
“He looked terrific this past week,’' McNamara said. ”He looked terrific.
He had made so many offensive strides before his injury. And he has come back and seems to be still on that same path.’'
That timing matters for Syracuse, which gets its first exhibition game next Tuesday against Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. The regular season starts Monday, Nov. 2, against New Haven at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Dual’s path to Syracuse has already been a winding one. He began at Providence, transferred to Seton Hall after his freshman season, and then moved on to McNeese State, where he averaged 8.4 points and 4.4 assists last season.
McNamara has pointed to Dual’s defensive tools as a major part of his value, especially his 7-foot wingspan and his ability to bother ball-handlers and jump passing lanes. He averaged 1.6 steals per game last season.
Even while he was sidelined, Dual stayed deeply involved with the team.
“He was at every practice,’' McNamara said. ”So even as he was in a sling, he was part of everything.
He was at every practice. He didn’t miss anything.
He never missed the team camaraderie stuff. He never missed the practice in terms of new actions we were putting in or defensive schemes.
He was a part of everything.’'
When Syracuse scrimmaged, Dual would hop in with the assistants on either side.
“He was like kind of one of the coaches,’' McNamara said.
Dual wasn’t the only player dealing with preseason bumps. Junior guard Aiden Tobiason, freshman wing Mark Morano Mahmutovic and junior forward Tasman Goodrick each missed time with minor injuries. Tobiason rested a tender hamstring for a couple of weeks in late August and early September, Goodrick sat out a couple of days with back soreness, and Morano had a hamstring issue that needed some time off.
“We’re just being cautious,’' McNamara said. “But the guys that were out are now back fully ingrained into practice.
We’ve had everybody this week. So we’re good to go.’'
In Other News...
Syracuse Heads To Virginia With More Than One Problem To Solve
Syracuse heads into its Atlantic Coast Conference matchup at Virginia still carrying the boost of a recent overtime win against UConn, but the bigger picture has not changed much for a team trying to stop a nine-game conference losing streak. The Orange have been looking for a steadier answer in league play, and this trip offers another chance to show the UConn result was more than a brief lift.
Virginia enters with its own issues after recent losses and some defensive struggles, which gives Syracuse an opening if it can handle the details that have undone it in conference play. Both sides have enough uncertainty around them to make this a revealing game, especially for an Orange team that needs more than a single win to change the tone of its season. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Defense Suddenly Has A Big Concern Before Virginia
Syracuse is heading into its matchup with Virginia with a few important names hanging in the balance, and the concern starts on defense. Linebacker Antoine Deslauriers was listed as questionable on the ACC injury report, joining Ahmad Miller and Nazir Ward as uncertain for Saturdays game. For a defense trying to stay steady in conference play, that is not the kind of pregame update anyone wanted.
The Orange also had a special teams wrinkle to monitor, with kicker Tripp Woody marked doubtful and wide receiver Darien Williams ruled out. Virginia had its own injury note, with starting cornerback Omillio Agard listed as questionable, so both sides are waiting on final availability as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Must Build Around Amarri Monroe With His Status Still Unsettled
Amarri Monroes Syracuse future is on hold in the broader legal sense, but the Orange are preparing as if he is part of the rotation right now. The guard remains eligible to play because of a court injunction while he challenges the NCAAs 5-in-5 rule in a lawsuit, and Gerry McNamara has made clear the plan is to use him like any other key piece as the season unfolds.
The problem, of course, is that Monroes standing could shift again with the NCAA expected to appeal and no trial date on the calendar. That leaves Syracuse in a familiar sort of limbo, building around a player it wants on the floor while knowing his availability may still change at some point during the year. [Read more 🡒]