Syracuse’s roster has been turned over almost completely, but Francis Folefac arrives with something most of the newcomers do not: a head start with Gerry McNamara.
That matters on a team still learning each other at Friday’s annual media day session at the Carmelo Anthony Center. The Orange are working with a brand-new look after McNamara replaced Adrian Autry, and the starting five from last season is gone. Syracuse also has just three seniors on the roster - Tasman Goodrick, Garway Dual and Amarri Monroe - and none of them has ever played a game for the Orange.
Folefac, a sophomore transfer from Landham, Md., is one of four players or recruiting commits McNamara brought with him from Siena. He spent the 2025-26 season developing under McNamara there, and when teammate Tasman Goodrick went down with an injury, Folefac’s minutes jumped right away.
The 6-foot-7 forward made the most of the expanded opportunity, averaging 11.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists while helping Siena win its first conference title and reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in over 15 years. The run ended with a No. 16 seed and a loss to No.
1 Duke in the Round of 64.
Now that familiarity is becoming valuable in a different way. Folefac is one of only three players on Syracuse’s roster who have already played for McNamara, alongside Gavin Doty and Goodrick, and he said this weekend that the trio has taken on the job of helping everyone else get up to speed.
"Me, Tazzie and Gavin we talk to our team. We come together.
We let them know like 'Hey this is what Coach McNamara wants. This is how he operates.
When you do this, this is the read.' Help guys understand the way he (McNamara) wants us to play."
As for where Folefac fits on the floor, the early picture is pretty clear. At 6-foot-7, he’ll be undersized compared with most ACC power forwards and centers, but he brings plenty of mass at 245 pounds. Only Luke Wilson, listed at 255 pounds, is heavier on the Syracuse roster.
His game is built around work near the basket and short-range jumpers, with his passing standing out as a possible separator. That skill set could make him especially useful in creating paint touches and finding shooters when defenses collapse.
His exact spot in the rotation remains one of the more intriguing preseason questions. Wilson may sit ahead of him in the center mix, but Folefac’s experience - and his comfort in McNamara’s system - could still earn him meaningful minutes.
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It will be Nelsons seventh collegiate start, a reminder of how much experience he has picked up even as the search for stability continues at the position. Syracuse has been navigating injuries at quarterback all week, and the trip to Virginia now brings a fresh layer of pressure, with the Orange needing Nelson to settle in quickly and give the offense a workable rhythm. [Read more 🡒]