Gerry McNamara got what he wanted Thursday night.
After Syracuse’s season-opening win over New Haven left him fuming despite the result, the Orange came back with a much cleaner performance against Central Connecticut State. Syracuse jumped out early, carried a 47-23 lead into halftime and never let the Blue Devils breathe on the way to a 102-49 win at the Dome.
That was the kind of response McNamara was looking for after Monday, when Syracuse’s 21-point halftime edge shrank to 16 and New Haven put up 41 points in the final 20 minutes. This time, the Orange kept pressing and never gave CCSU a path back in.
Here are some observations from Syracuse’s (2-0, Atlantic Coast) win over the Blue Devils (0-2, Northeast) on Thursday:
Mark Morano and Gavin Doty spent the night trading haymakers from deep. Both are listed around 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, both work on the wing, and both looked like the kind of shooters nobody wants left alone.
Doty finished with 18 points, three 3-pointers and seven field goals. Morano answered with 16 points, four triples and six field goals. At one point, Doty buried a deep 3 to stretch the lead to 63-28, and Morano came right back within 30 seconds with another one of his own.
The Dome didn’t have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, but Syracuse may have something close enough if those two keep it up.
Luke Wilson also gave Syracuse exactly what it needed inside.
That was a welcome change after Monday, when the Appalachian State center struggled with four points, three fouls and two turnovers against New Haven. McNamara had said after that game he wanted Wilson to bring more anger, and Wilson agreed, saying, “I play better when I’m angry.”
He looked plenty angry Thursday. Wilson scored on a dunk less than two minutes in after taking a pass from Morano, then added a layup shortly after. He finished with 14 points and also blocked a shot, giving Syracuse a real presence in the paint.
That matters because the Orange need someone to step into the role left by William Kyle III, and Wilson made a strong case.
Sadiq White Jr. kept building on the early-season buzz around his work on the glass. After all the talk in the exhibitions about his rebounding, White has answered through two regular-season games by looking like the athletic force Syracuse expected.
Against New Haven, he posted 14 points and 10 rebounds. By halftime Thursday, he was already at eight points and nine boards, and he finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.
White said he had been settling for too many outside shots in the exhibitions, which kept him out of rebounding position. Against CCSU, he was around the rim all night and made it count.
McNamara said after the New Haven game that if White reaches his full potential, he could raise Syracuse’s ceiling. If Thursday was any indication, opposing big men are going to have their hands full.
The point guard situation is getting interesting, too.
McNamara stuck with Garwey Dual in the starting role again, leaning on the senior transfer’s experience and defense. But Thursday, Ryan Moesch looked like the more dynamic lead guard.
Moesch didn’t score, just as he didn’t Monday, but he kept creating problems for CCSU. He repeatedly attacked the paint, drew help defenders and then made the right play, whether that meant kicking out to shooters or lofting a lob to a finisher.
He connected with Wilson for an alley-oop and later dropped a high pass to White for a dunk. Moesch finished with seven assists, while Dual had four. Dual started again and played a solid seven-minute stretch after halftime, but Moesch reentered and kept the offense humming.
Syracuse now has two point guards in the mix, and McNamara has a decision to make.
In Other News...
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Syracuses backcourt rotation is already being tested before the season can really settle in. Guard Aiden Tobiason will miss the upcoming game against Central Connecticut State after suffering a hamstring strain in an exhibition, leaving the Orange to adjust without the junior transfer from Temple. He arrived with three years of eligibility remaining and was expected to be part of the group helping stabilize the perimeter.
The timing is less than ideal for a team still sorting out its depth and roles. With Tobiason sidelined, Syracuse will need other guards and wings to absorb the minutes and keep the offense moving against a matchup that now comes with a little more uncertainty than planned. For an early-season roster trying to build rhythm, even a short absence can ripple through the whole backcourt. [Read more 🡒]
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Malachi Nelson is trending in the right direction, but he remains doubtful, which keeps the quarterback picture from fully settling just yet. Clemson has its own injury issues to manage, with starters Elyjah Thurmon, Harris Sewell and Gideon Davidson ruled out and wide receiver Tyler Brown questionable, but Syracuses concern is more immediate on defense, where availability could shape how the Orange try to handle one of the ACCs tougher road environments. [Read more 🡒]