Garwey Dual is back on the Syracuse basketball floor, at least in a limited way.
After spending the past two months working his way back from a dislocated collarbone, the 6-foot-5 guard has returned to non-contact drills, Syracuse coach Gerry McNamara said Monday. Dual suffered the injury in July during a practice session when he went after a loose ball.
“He’s back doing non-contact drills,’’ McNamara said. “He actually looks really good.
His conditioning is excellent, especially for as long as he’s been out. We’re trending towards contact.’’
That progression matters with Syracuse’s first official fall practice set for Monday. The Orange are also moving toward their first exhibition game, a matchup with Connecticut on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. Syracuse opens the regular season on Monday, Nov. 2 against New Haven.
McNamara said it is still too early to know whether Dual will be ready for the UConn exhibition.
“Depends on how he progresses over the next few weeks,’’ McNamara said. “Because that first exhibition game is so early; it’s not like you’re doing two (exhibitions) and they’re within 10 days of your home opener.
“This is a long term thing,’’ McNamara added. “We want to get him as healthy.’’
Dual’s path to Syracuse comes after a productive season at McNeese State, where he averaged 8.6 points and 4.4 assists in 26.5 minutes per game and helped the Cowboys win the Southland Conference and reach the NCAA Tournament. The senior also previously spent one year each at Providence and Seton Hall after transferring to Syracuse following the 2025-26 season.
McNamara said the injury happened in a way that barely looked serious at first.
“It didn’t even look like much,’’ McNamara said. “He just got hit the wrong way.’’
Even while sidelined, Dual has stayed around the program. McNamara said he has been present for almost every practice since the injury, something the coach pointed to as a sign of the group’s closeness.
“It can be an isolating thing when you’re injured,’’ McNamara said. “You feel like you’re on an island. We’ve got a pretty connected group.’’
With Dual unavailable, freshman Ryan Moesch has been Syracuse’s only true point guard. McNamara has also used guards Aiden Tobiason, Gavin Doty and Mark Morano Mahmutovic at the point alongside Moesch during 5-on-5 work.
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