Syracuse officially opened the season with Media Day at the Carmelo Anthony Center on Friday.
With its preseason opener against Connecticut less than a week away, here are some key takeaways from the presser.
Defensive capabilities
Stepping into the Carmelo Anthony Center felt like time-traveling back to when Syracuse was known for its 2-3 zone defense. Head coach Gerry McNamara had little time to build a team after being hired, but there is no doubt he had a certain player archetype in mind. This year’s team has length at almost every position.
Senior guard Garwey Dual is possibly the smallest starter on the team, standing at 6’5″. At the opening press conference, McNamara told reporters that Dual is one of the best on-ball defenders he has seen spanning from high school to the present day. Temple transfer Adian Tobiason is also 6’5″ but boasts an impressive 7’1″ wingspan, something that he looks to use on the defensive side of the ball at Syracuse.
“I want to emphasize that I can use my length more,” Tobiason said. “Get more rebounds, steals, and blocks.”
In the frontcourt, players like returning sophomore Sadiq White Jr. have the length and defensive abilities to guard multiple positions. At center, Syracuse has four new players, led by last year’s Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Luke Wilson. Syracuse also added two freshman 7-foot centers in Abdramane Siby and Iker Martinez.
While questions remain about who Syracuse will lean on to score this season, this team will likely be known more for its physical, length-based defense.
New faces from all different places
Syracuse is only bringing back two players from last year’s squad in Kiyan Anthony and White. But unlike many programs, the team has a solid mix of portal players and freshmen looking to make an impact. Most of the freshmen McNamara has brought are international players expected to make an impact off the bench.
Possibly Syracuse’s best 3-point shooter this season is freshman Mark Morano from Slovenia. Morano has been a mainstay of the Slovenian U18 team, competing for them for two years and averaging over 20 points in his second year. Morano has played in European leagues and believes the way the game is played there has helped ease the transition.
“Basketball is a lot more tactics-based there.” Morano said. “So it has kinda helped me with picking up new plays and the system Gerry has prepared for us.”
McNamara also signed a second player from Europe. Abdramane Siby played in Serbia for three years. Now at Syracuse, Siby improved not just on the court, but also in the weight room. McNamara said in his press conference that Siby has put on 16 pounds since arriving this summer.
“Since the first day I got here, I wanted to be tough here on the court.” Siby said. “Because here in the NCAA, you have to be strong and really tough.”
McNamara is also trusting freshman Ryan Moesch as the backup point guard. Moesch committed to Siena while McNamara coached there and decided to follow him to Syracuse. Guard Gavin Doty and forwards Francis Folefac and Tasman Goodrick also followed Gerry from Siena, helping teach the new players McNamara’s system. Folefac was grateful for the trust his coach had in him as just a sophomore.
“Coach McNamara believes that we can be kind of leaders for the team. I know me, Gavin, and Tasman. We’ve come in to try to help our teammates and bring them up to speed on Coach McNamara and how he wants us to play.” Folefac said. “Just knowing that he (McNamara) has that belief in us is awesome.”
Major Test
Last year, the NCAA allowed teams to openly scrimmage other D1 opponents. Syracuse took advantage of that and played Buffalo. This year, Syracuse has scheduled one of the best teams in the country. The Orange will play at Mohhegan Sun against UConn on Tuesday. UConn is coming off a season where they made it all the way to the final game before losing to Michigan.
While the game will be tough for a new team, it still provides a great early learning opportunity. One former Syracuse player who couldn’t take advantage of these exhibitions is Tyus Battle, now a Syracuse basketball coach. Battle loves the idea of playing one of the best teams.
“I love it. As a player, I would have loved to do that. You get thrown in the fire right away and see where you stand and see what you can improve.” Battle said, “It’ll be a very good learning experience for us.”
Coaches aren’t the only ones excited for the opportunity to play against one of the best teams. Tobiason is ready for the challenge, too.
“It’s our first big test,” Tobiason said. “It will test our team chemistry when they go on runs, or we go on runs.”
The Orange have two other exhibition matches. One is against Niagara, and the other is a homecoming for McNamara at Siena. The real games begin on Nov. 2, when Syracuse will host New Haven at the JMA Wireless Dome.
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