After going 2-1 in exhibition play, Syracuse men’s basketball opens its 2026-27 regular season at home Monday against New Haven, the first meeting between the programs. First-year head coach Gerry McNamara begins his tenure at the helm of SU. The former Syracuse guard and 2003 national champion spent 15 seasons as an assistant and associate head coach with the Orange before becoming head coach at Siena. McNamara spent two years with the Saints, leading them to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Welcome home, Gerry McNamara! 🍊
— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) March 24, 2026
He helped define Syracuse Basketball, now he leads it into a new era.
📰 https://t.co/lo9E6a4WC2 pic.twitter.com/S0RVC6sxpc
Syracuse’s coaching staff isn’t the only area with new faces. The Orange lost 11 players to the transfer portal and expired eligibility after last season, including their top five scorers. That leaves SU with just four returners. A notable one is guard Kiyan Anthony. The sophomore averaged eight points across 29 games last year, the most among SU’s returners.
“G-Mac runs a pro system,” Anthony said. “It’s go time now. We’re hitting the ground running.”
Also coming back is forward Sadiq White Jr. The sophomore averaged six points per game last year and was one of only five Syracuse players to shoot more than 50% from the field. He also grabbed just over three rebounds per game, fourth on SU. White and Anthony are expected to see more minutes this season after both averaged fewer than 20 per game last year.
As for newcomers, Syracuse has 11 of them. The Orange added six players through the transfer portal and brought in five freshmen. A notable transfer is guard Gavin Doty. The junior spent his first two collegiate seasons at Siena under McNamara, leading the Saints with 18 points and seven rebounds per game last year.
Doty led the Orange in scoring during exhibition play. He had 20 points in a win over Siena, and 14 points and 13 rebounds in SU’s final preseason game against Niagara.
“We got a great group. We can stretch the floor. We can get inside, and play very hard on defense,” Doty said. “I think I’ve seen everybody get better from the start of the summer until now.”
Syracuse’s freshman class is headlined by guard Ryan Moesch and forward Mark Morano. Moesch, a native of nearby Chittenango, made key contributions off the bench in exhibition play. Despite not starting, the guard led the Orange in assists in all three games. Moesch also scored 11 points against Siena and led the team with seven rebounds in SU’s only exhibition loss, to UConn.
Morano spent last season playing professionally in Slovenia, his home country. The teenager scored in double figures in 22 of 27 games with the Helios Suns of the Premier A Slovenian Basketball League, the country’s highest level of the sport. Morano appeared in two exhibition games for Syracuse, scoring 18 points off the bench against Siena.
“So far it’s been great. Everybody’s been like, really competitive,” Morano said. “Everything’s about winning. We have this winning mentality.”
New Haven’s roster situation is similar to Syracuse’s. The Chargers lost their top three scorers from last year, the program’s first season at the Division I level. New Haven will likely rely on graduate guard Kheni Briggs as its offensive anchor. Briggs averaged just under seven points per game last season, largely in a supporting role. He is expected to spend more time in the starting lineup and be a leading scorer for the Chargers.
New Haven is led by head coach Ted Hotaling, entering his 17th season with the Chargers. The veteran led the team to a 14-17 record last year, going just 5-11 on the road. New Haven was picked last in the nine-team Northeast Conference preseason poll.
A win would be Syracuse’s seventh straight season-opening victory. After missing the NCAA Tournament for five straight years, McNamara hopes to restore the same Syracuse basketball culture from his time as a player and assistant.
“Part of being in college at Syracuse as a student is the basketball team needs to be good, right? Like that should be non-negotiable,” McNamara said. “Like, that should be part of your journey as a student, should be so much fun because the basketball team’s so good.”
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. WAER’s pregame coverage begins with a special hour-long edition of McClurg Remodeling Countdown to Tipoff at 6 p.m.
