Syracuse’s path back to the NCAA tournament is going to run through a roster still taking shape, and the Orange may need an unexpected name to jump from role player to real difference-maker.
That’s the backdrop as the men’s basketball program continues sorting out its rotation with the regular season closing in. Syracuse held its annual media day Friday at the Carmelo Anthony Center, giving the public its first look at the team this season.
The opener is Nov. 2 against New Haven, and the Orange are trying to avoid extending the school’s longest streak without an NCAA tournament bid to six straight seasons. Syracuse went 15-17 a year ago.
The key question is which player can rise beyond what is projected in September and October. Not the obvious starters or the players already carrying heavy preseason expectations like Sadiq White, Kiyan Anthony, Garwey Dual and Gavin Doty. The kind of breakout candidate Syracuse needs is the one who comes off the bench, forces his way into the conversation and contributes far more than expected early in the year.
Three names stand out.
Tassie Goodrick is one. A senior, he has appeared in only 18 college games across two seasons at Cal Baptist and Siena.
Last year with the MAAC champion Saints, he started nine games before a season-ending injury cut things short. In that stretch, the 6-foot-10 forward was producing 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Ryan Moesch is another possibility. A four-star prospect, he originally committed to McNamara and Siena and became the highest-ranked player ever to commit to the Saints.
When McNamara moved on to Syracuse, the 6-foot-1 guard followed. If his ball handling and scoring translate quickly, he could give the Orange’s offense a much-needed lift.
Luke Wilson also fits the mold. The Appalachian State transfer brings size at 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds, along with production: 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He has the frame, the experience and the defensive chops to carve out a bigger role than some may expect.
Of the three, Goodrick looks like the strongest bet. Syracuse fans may not have followed Siena closely early last season, but Goodrick was on pace to be more than just the team’s top player; he was shaping up as a serious MAAC Player of the Year candidate before the injury changed everything. His former Siena teammates now at Syracuse, Gavin Doty and Francis Folefac, each had strong individual seasons, but Goodrick’s injury opened more opportunity for others there.
Now, Goodrick says his health is the best it has been in years, according to what he told SyracuseRoundtable earlier this month. If that holds, he has a chance to far exceed the modest expectations attached to him right now.
And over the next few weeks, Syracuse should get a much clearer picture of just how big that breakout could be.
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