Syracuse is treating Amarri Monroe like a full-time piece of the puzzle, even if his long-term status still hangs in the balance.
Monroe, a 6-foot-7 forward, is eligible for now after State Supreme Court Justice Jean Marie Westlake issued an injunction Tuesday in his challenge to the NCAA’s 5-in-5 rule. The ruling keeps him on the floor while the case moves forward, but the uncertainty hasn’t disappeared. The NCAA is expected to appeal, and there is still no trial date, leaving open the possibility that Monroe could be ruled ineligible at some point during the season.
For Gerry McNamara, that means coaching a player he plans to use without hesitation while knowing the situation could change later. At the ACC’s Basketball TipOff in Charlotte on Wednesday, McNamara made it clear Syracuse isn’t treating Monroe like a temporary add-on.
“Amarri’s part of our team,’' McNamara said during the ACC’s Basketball TipOff in Charlotte on Wednesday. ”There hasn’t been much conversation to the team about, ‘Hey, if this or that.’
No, Amarri’s with us. If things change, we’ll let you know.
But until then, we’re operating as Amarri’s a part of our group.’'
Monroe arrives in Syracuse with a strong track record and a familiar face on the sideline. He transferred from Quinnipiac, where he was the MAAC’s Player of the Year in 2025 after putting up 18.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He returned to Quinnipiac after drawing interest from Power Four Conference programs and finished his senior season at 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
McNamara, who coached in the MAAC at Siena while Monroe starred at Quinnipiac, said he already knew what Syracuse was getting.
“Having coached against him (and) watching his dominance in our league, his physical prowess overwhelming people,’' McNamara said. ”But he’s such a wonderful kid.
He’s been a seamless addition to our group. Because we’ve got really good character in our group, we can add a kid that late after our summer where we were together and he’s been embraced by our group.’'
The Syracuse coach also singled out Monroe’s defense and work on the glass, calling him one of the best defenders he’s seen over the last two years.
Offensively, McNamara believes Monroe should benefit from stepping into a more balanced setup. Instead of being asked to shoulder everything, he can settle into a role that lets him play more naturally.
“Now, he doesn’t have to be the guy that has to kind of carry everything,’' McNamara said. ”He can fit in and be your natural self. Hopefully, he can take advantage of the same angles with more space.’'
Even with the legal cloud still overhead, McNamara said Monroe’s role won’t be scaled back because of what might happen later. He said he’ll coach the game in front of him and use Monroe if that gives Syracuse the best chance to win.
“I’m going to coach,’' McNamara said. ”I’ll tell you this.
I’ll coach that day, then I’ll coach the next game and the game after that. I coach per game.
So if I think Amarri is going to give me the best chance to win that game, you know what he’s going to do? He’s going to be on the court.’'
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