Amarri Monroe’s move to Syracuse comes with a clean slate, a new role and, for the moment, a green light from the NCAA.
The former Quinnipiac star has been cleared through a temporary injunction obtained earlier in October, and he arrived in August with the Orange after committing to Syracuse. That path followed a legal challenge seeking another year of eligibility, one of several such cases playing out across the country.
For Monroe, the draw is simple: one more chance to get to March Madness.
“I’m super excited for a fresh start,” he said.
That fresh start feels very different from the weight he carried at Quinnipiac. Monroe became the face of the Bobcats program after back-to-back MAAC regular-season titles in his first two seasons, when Quinnipiac reached the semifinals both times.
Last season, though, the ceiling stayed out of reach. The Bobcats fell to Marist in the MAAC quarterfinals, and Monroe admitted Friday that the ending stuck with him.
“I was not okay with how last year ended,” Monroe said on Syracuse men’s basketball media day Friday. “My expectations were way higher with the team that we had. I think that was the most talented team that we had at Quinnipiac, so we definitely didn’t exceed expectations.”
Monroe’s own numbers dipped in that senior season. He went from 18.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game to 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds. In MAAC play, his offensive rating fell from 106.3 to 99.4, and his two-point shooting percentage dropped by 7%.
He also dealt with injuries and the pressure that comes with being the guy everyone else is trying to stop.
“Last year was definitely a rough year,” he said. “Battled some injuries, and obviously expectations were super high. A lot of talk, a lot of media, it was definitely different last year from the prior two years.”
Monroe still had moments that drew attention, including a wild end-of-shot-clock heave against Siena that put Quinnipiac ahead by 10 with under eight minutes left. Everyone in the building saw him step behind the half-court line as he gathered the ball, except the officials. At the time, he insisted he “definitely” didn’t step into the backcourt.
Now, he says Syracuse coach Gerry McNamara and the Orange staff bring it up “pretty often.” Monroe also said that during his first week at SU, he admitted to his new coaches that he should’ve been whistled for over and back.
His fit at Syracuse is built less around carrying the offense and more around what made him stand out early at Quinnipiac. Back then, Monroe was valued for his defense, rebounding and activity, while Savion Lewis and Matt Balanc handled most of the ball-handling duties. That season was his most efficient at Quinnipiac and his best as a perimeter shooter.
He expects a similar setup with the Orange.
“I just get that same vibe (as 2023-24) with this team,” he said. “Where I don’t have to have the full load.
I’m able to just relax and make open shots, get downhill, play off the ball a little bit, and just be super aggressive on defense. I won’t be as tired being that I won’t have the ball in my hand all the time.”
In Other News...
Syracuse Let Another Winnable ACC Game Slip Away
Syracuse found itself piecing together the most important spot on the field again, using three different starting quarterbacks in its fifth game of the season before a fourth quarterback had to take over because of injury. Even with all that turnover, the Orange still had a chance to make a statement in a game that felt there for the taking, but the offense never fully settled in and the trip to Virginia ended in a 28-25 loss.
The setback kept Syracuse winless in ACC play and stretched its losing streak against Power-Four opponents to 11 games, a frustrating run for a team still searching for traction. The second-half offense went cold at the wrong time, and the familiar problems in the kicking game and on special teams loomed again, turning another winnable conference game into another missed opportunity. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Keeps Making The Same Mistakes And Now The Pressure Is Rising
Syracuse keeps finding ways to make life harder on itself in ACC play, and the pattern is becoming impossible to ignore. The Orange have dropped two conference games by three points each even while outgaining both opponents, a frustrating sign that the issue has been less about moving the ball and more about finishing drives, avoiding mistakes and closing out tight moments.
The quarterback situation has only added to the instability, with injuries forcing Syracuse to turn to four different passers in five games. Missed field goals, penalties and second-half lapses have also piled up, and the result is a 10-game ACC losing streak that has put real pressure on the program. Until the Orange clean up the self-inflicted damage, even solid stretches on offense will keep getting lost in the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Let Another Winnable ACC Game Slip Away
Syracuse had a chance to turn a solid first-half showing into a much-needed ACC win, but instead watched another winnable game slip away in the stretch. The Orange led at halftime and had already turned to their fourth different quarterback of the season, with Malachi Nelson throwing a touchdown pass before leaving with an injury, a reminder of how unsettled the position has been all year.
Virginia took control late and made Syracuse pay for the little mistakes that kept adding up. Penalties and missed field goals helped open the door, and the Cavaliers then leaned on a late ground attack to finish off a 28-25 win, leaving Syracuse to wonder again how a game it had positioned itself to win got away in the end. [Read more 🡒]