As Syracuse basketball gets closer to its regular season opener against New Haven on Monday, Nov. 2, a few of the most interesting questions around the program are starting to pile up.
This week’s Mailbox touched on three of them: what kind of defense Gerry McNamara is likely to use, how the NCAA’s new eligibility setup affects the Orange’s young players, and why Syracuse backed out of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas after being set to participate.
On the defensive front, McNamara’s past gives a pretty clear hint. At Siena, his teams spent most of their time in man-to-man, and that should still be the foundation at Syracuse.
That said, he does have experience with the 2-3 zone from both his playing days and his time as an assistant under former SU coach Jim Boeheim. The expectation is that Syracuse will still lean on man-to-man, with the zone available as part of the mix.
The NCAA’s new eligibility structure is easier to explain than the old maze of waivers and redshirts. In the off-season, the NCAA adopted a new 5-in-5 rule, giving athletes a five-year window and five years of eligibility.
It was meant, in part, to cut down on the waiver requests athletes had been pursuing. Under the new rule, there are no waivers or redshirt years, and it takes effect right away.
That means players such as Syracuse sophomores Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony can play five seasons of college basketball. The only group excluded from the change is athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and completed their fourth year of eligibility in the 2025-26 season.
Then there’s the Players Era question, which drew a lot of attention because Syracuse had already been mentioned as a participant before deciding not to go. There was never an on-the-record explanation for the switch, but the reasons are not hard to see.
The event can pay as much as $2 million to some teams, but not every team in the field gets that amount. And once a school signs up, it gives up control over its opponents.
Syracuse officials were unhappy last year when the Orange were matched with an undefeated, nationally ranked Iowa State team after consecutive losses to ranked opponents Houston and Kansas.
This time, Syracuse built a different non-conference slate, with games against Indiana, Oklahoma, St. John’s, Providence and Rutgers.
That setup lets the Orange spread out the heavy hitters instead of facing three top-tier teams over three days. Financially, that also helps.
Neutral-site games arranged by a promoter or a television network can bring in anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million, and with those non-conference matchups added together, Syracuse can make up for what it gave up by passing on the Players Era.
In Other News...
Syracuse Has A Kicking Problem Fran Brown Cant Ignore
Syracuses kicking game has become one of the clearest problem spots in a season where little margin already exists. The Orange have missed more field goals per game than anyone in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season, and the issue showed up again in a recent loss that included missed kicks and a botched punt. Fran Brown said after the game that the special teams struggles were part of what went wrong, and the staff is now trying to steady a unit that has repeatedly left points on the field.
Freshman Shay Barker has been named the starting kicker going forward, giving Syracuse at least some clarity at a position that has been in flux. Even with that decision, the bigger question is whether the Orange can turn enough of those scoring chances into points to change outcomes in close games. In a season where every possession matters, the kicking game has stopped being a side note and become something Brown cant afford to keep watching unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Heads Into Louisville With One Problem Nobody Trusts
The pregame conversation around Syracuses trip to Louisville has centered on two things that can tilt a college football Saturday in a hurry: quarterback stability and whether the Orange can keep up with a Cardinals offense that has earned plenty of respect. A panel of sports reporters and analysts leaned heavily toward Louisville in their predictions, and the concern for Syracuse was not just winning straight up but even staying close enough to cover the spread.
For Syracuse, that kind of consensus puts the spotlight on a problem that has lingered all season. The quarterback situation has been unsettled, and against a Louisville team viewed as dangerous on offense, every small mistake becomes a larger issue. It leaves the Orange heading into the matchup with little outside confidence and a lot to prove before anyone is willing to trust them in a game like this. [Read more 🡒]
Carmelo Anthony Just Gave Syracuse Fans Another Reason To Feel Close
Carmelo Anthony keeps finding ways to stay connected to Central New York, and his latest move feels especially personal. The former Syracuse star recently bought a nearly 60-acre property in Brookfield, New York, giving him a rural retreat that includes a farmhouse, cabins, a chalet and a large pond with recreational features.
Anthony shared a video giving fans a look at the place, and his son Kiyan said the purchase was meant to serve as a family retreat. For Syracuse supporters who still claim Carmelo as one of their own, it is another reminder that the bond between Anthony and the region has never really gone away. [Read more 🡒]