Syracuse is heading into Gerry McNamara’s first season with the outside world not expecting much from the Orange - at least not yet.
ACC voters slotted Syracuse 11th in the league’s preseason order of finish, putting the program in the bottom half of the 18-team conference. The league released the forecast on Tuesday, and the Orange also came away empty in the preseason awards race, with no players making the Preseason All-ACC team.
Duke, meanwhile, was the runaway choice at the top, collecting 45 of 48 first-place votes.
For Syracuse, the projection lands against the backdrop of a rough recent stretch. The Orange went 15-17 overall and 6-12 in ACC play last season, then missed the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year.
That led to a coaching change, with McNamara replacing Adrian Autry. McNamara arrives as a familiar face and an Orange legend, best known for helping Syracuse win the 2003 national championship.
The roster McNamara inherits has a mix of holdovers, transfers and new faces. Two sophomores stand out among the returners: Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White. Anthony put up 8.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game as a freshman, while White averaged 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds.
McNamara also brought several players from his previous stop at Siena, a team that reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Junior guard Gavin Doty, a Fulton, N.Y. native, came with him after averaging 18.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and earning 2025-26 MAAC First Team honors.
Sophomore forward Francis Folefac is another Siena transfer, after starting 26 games and posting 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Senior forward Tasman Goodrick also followed McNamara to Syracuse.
The transfer portal added more pieces. Junior guard Aiden Tobiason arrives from Temple after starting all 32 games and averaging 15.3 points per game, including seven games with 20 or more points.
He is expected to anchor the Orange backcourt as a primary scorer. Garwey Dual comes in from McNeese State and is expected to take over at point guard after earning All-Southland Conference Defensive Team honors and totaling 56 steals.
Junior center Luke Wilson joins from Appalachian State as the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year; he averaged 10.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 59 blocks. Syracuse also added Amarri Monroe from Quinnipiac, where the 6-foot-7 forward was the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference player of the year in 2025 and is seeking a fifth year of eligibility as he challenges the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rule.
The incoming freshman class includes forward Mark Morano, center Abdramane Siby, center Iker Martinez and guard Ryan Moesch. Morano, a native of Slovenia, is known as a sharpshooter and played for his country’s national team.
Siby brings a 7-foot-6 wingspan and has played in various pro leagues across Europe, including competition in the Euroleague and the EuroCup. Martinez attended Arizona Compass Prep and Elev8 Academy and picked up a McDonald’s All-American nomination.
Moesch, a former Chittenango High School star, was ranked No. 156 in the country in his class by the 247Sports composite rankings.
Before the games start counting, Syracuse has three exhibitions on the schedule. The Orange open that stretch Tuesday night against Connecticut. The regular season begins Monday, Nov. 2 at the JMA Wireless Dome against New Haven.
At the top of the league picture, the preseason vote had Duke first with 861 points, followed by Virginia, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Clemson, Florida State, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, SMU and then Syracuse at 353. Pitt, Stanford, Wake Forest, California, Notre Dame, Boston College and Georgia Tech rounded out the projected order.
The Preseason All-ACC first team featured Thijs De Ridder of Virginia, Flory Bidunga of Louisville, John Blackwell of Duke, Shelton Henderson of Miami and Patrick Ngongba II of Duke. The second team included Malik Reneau of Miami, Jackson Shelstad of Louisville, Chance Mallory of Virginia, Amani Hansberry of Virginia Tech and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje of Duke.
De Ridder was also voted ACC Preseason Player of the Year, and Boumtje Boumtje took Preseason Rookie of the Year honors.
In Other News...
Syracuse May Be Down To Another Backup Vs Louisville
Syracuses quarterback room is suddenly thin enough that the Orange may have to lean on another backup when Louisville comes to town. Steve Angeli is moving toward a return to practice, while Amari Odom is still being evaluated for a shoulder injury and Malachi Nelson is dealing with an upper-body issue, though there are no broken bones involved.
Dino Babers now has to weigh whether Danny Lauter or true freshman Zaid Lott is the best option if the injured quarterbacks cannot go. It is the kind of depth test every team tries to avoid this late in the year, especially with an ACC opponent next on the schedule and little time to sort out who can actually take the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuses First Gerry McNamara Lineup Already Raised Big Questions
Gerry McNamaras first Syracuse lineup was always going to draw a little extra scrutiny, and the exhibition against UConn at Mohegan Sun Arena gave Orange fans an early look at how this new era might open. With the coaching debut unfolding in Uncasville, the game brought together live first-half updates, both starting lineups and the usual broadcast details, but the bigger story was simply seeing how McNamara would set the tone in his first official night on the sideline.
For Syracuse, the intrigue wasnt just about an exhibition score or a preseason tune-up. It was about the shape of the rotation, the opening five and what McNamara chose to emphasize against a UConn team that rarely offers an easy first test. Even in a setting built for preseason evaluation, the first lineup can say plenty, and this one immediately gave Orange followers something to debate as the new coachs tenure began. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Finally Gets A Key Newcomer Back At The Right Time
Syracuse is getting an encouraging update just in time for its exhibition matchup with Connecticut, with transfer guard Garwey Dual expected to be available after a recent collarbone injury. Dual was cleared for contact in late September, and his return to full practice has given the Orange a chance to keep working toward the backcourt setup theyve been building around this fall.
Dual is projected to start at point guard, making his availability especially important as Syracuse continues sorting out roles before the games begin to count. He has dealt with injuries before, but his recent run of practice work suggests he is on track to give the Orange a much-needed boost when they take the floor. [Read more 🡒]