Basketball guide 2026
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‘HERE TO WIN’
‘JUST DO YOU’
Gerry McNamara is one of the most beloved players in Syracuse men’s basketball history. Now, as the program’s head coach, he’s tasked with restoring SU’s blue-blood standard.
Uche Izoje knows the pressure she’ll face after notching the most statistically dominant freshman season in Syracuse women’s basketball history. She won’t shy away from it.
2 BASKETBALL GUIDE 2026
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Two highly anticipated Syracuse basketball seasons are upon us. SU’s men’s squad looks to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, while the women aim to return for the third time in four years. Among all storylines surrounding these teams, none is greater than Syracuse men’s basketball’s new head coach. The Orange flushed their former coaching staff and hired Gerry McNamara from Siena to take the reins. He thrived with the Saints and brought along Gavin Doty, their 2025-26 leading scorer, to Syracuse. SU also acquired Amarri Monroe, who fought for and earned a fifth year of eligibility this offseason. On the women’s side, Uche Izoje, one of the greatest freshmen in program history, returns for Year 2. While most of SU’s top players from last season left, the Orange have SMU transfer Tyi Skinner and Oregon transfer Sarah Rambus to ease the pressure on Syracuse’s star center. As SU’s men change their guard and its women try for a second straight winning year, The Daily Orange’s 2026 Basketball Guide has all you need to know. Thanks for reading,
Art direction by ADELAIDE GUAN
Additional photos courtesy of DELAWARE ATHLETICS NICOLE DOTY OREGON ATHLETICS SU ATHLETICS
Graphics by ADELAIDE GUAN
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MEN’S STARTING LINEUP PREDICTION
WOMEN’S STARTING LINEUP PREDICTION
PG: Garwey Dual
PG: Tyi Skinner
6’5” | Senior | 200 lbs
5’5” | Graduate
SG: Gavin Doty
SG: Angelica Velez
6’5” | Junior | 200 lbs
5’7” | Senior
SF: Mark Morano C: Luke Wilson
SF: Shy Hawkins
6’6” | Freshman | 205 lbs
C: Uche Izoje
6’10” | Junior | 255 lbs
6’3” | Sophomore
PF: Sadiq White Jr.
PF: Sarah Rambus
6’8” | Sophomore | 207 lbs
6’3” | Senior
6’2” | Junior
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‘ENERGIZER BUNNY’ BY NOAH NUSSBAUM managing editor
G
avin Doty was hurting, but he wasn’t going to let anyone know. In No. 16 seed Siena’s NCAA Tournament clash with No. 1 seed Duke last March, Gavin tweak`ed his ankle in the first half. Then, he crashed into the scorer’s table after the break. His mother, Nicole Doty, didn’t think her son had time to get taped up, so she assumed afterward he just played through his injuries. Danny Murray, Gavin’s former Siena teammate, didn’t even realize he was hurt. In reality, Gavin did get re-taped at halftime, he said. It was so quick that no one noticed, and he still played all 40 minutes. “He didn’t say he was hurt. He didn’t come out of the game once,” Murray said. “He didn’t say ‘wrap my ankle.’ He was playing like it was still his game.” Gavin may not have looked as explosive as usual and favored his good ankle, Nicole said, but his 21 points still led the Saints. The Blue Devils prevailed 71-65, but Gavin had a national powerhouse on the brink while running on pure adrenaline.
21
Gavin Doty’s points against Duke in the 2026 NCAA Tournament That toughness, that drive, that “motor,” as many people call it, isn’t anything new for Gavin. He’s used it at every stage of his life and basketball career. At Siena, it helped him rise from an unranked recruit that Gerry McNamara took a flier on to a four-star transfer, per 247Sports. Gavin’s motor was on full display last year, as he averaged 18 points in 36.8 minutes per game, both top-2 marks in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He even played the full 40 minutes in 10 matchups. After following McNamara to SU, Gavin’s ready for a similar workload with the Orange in hopes of breaking their five-year March Madness drought. “Gavin has always been a bundle full of energy,” Nicole said. “We used to say he was the Energizer Bunny. He just never stopped moving and never ran out of energy.” As for where it comes from? Gavin can’t overlook his upbringing in nearby Fulton, New York. “It started when I was a young kid, just being from a small town,” he said. “There had never been a Division I basketball player in Fulton, so I always had to have the mentality of ‘I got to do something different, and I gotta work a little harder.’” Gavin’s underlying traits were commendable, but many coaches — and recruiting platforms — didn’t see them in high school. Gone are the times when coaches attended six practices to scout a player, Justin Fatica, Doty’s former Amateur Athletic Union coach at Team Amazing, said. It was hard to watch one game and fully experience Gavin’s motor. Hence, his offers largely came from mid-majors like Le Moyne, Colgate, Buffalo and St. Bonaventure. Gavin’s pitch became simple: He could play for your team or he could go to prep school for another year to boost his recruiting prospects. McNamara was the first to take him up on his offer. He believed Gavin was ready.
“I don’t know why more people didn’t recognize what Gerry McNamara recognized,” Gavin’s high school coach, Sean Broderick, said. “But I do know that more people wish that they had, because there are plenty of ACC, Big Ten schools that would love to have Gavin Doty on their roster.” It only took a few weeks to realize Siena got a bargain. Gavin began as a bench player, but his work ethic quickly bumped him up McNamara’s list. Earning his spot was foreign to Gavin; he was always the best player in Fulton, his older brother Trevor Doty said, so he had to grind harder to earn his chance at Siena. Former Saints assistant coach Arinze Onuaku, now with SU, said Gavin entered “more frail” than he is now, but his energy made up for his undersized frame. In the Saints’ first six games of Gavin’s freshman year, he never topped nine minutes. Then came a bout with Jacksonville on Nov. 26. Thirty-seven minutes. Twenty-one points. From there, Gavin played at least 30 minutes in 19 of the season’s last 20 games. “I watched him go from sixth man to starter to arguably the best and most consistent player in the league in the span of five weeks his freshman year,” McNamara said at his season-opening press conference on Oct. 9. He’s always been that bundle of energy that fast-tracked through Siena’s ranks. When he’d watch movies with his brothers as a kid, Gavin could never sit still, hopping from couch to couch instead of watching. On Team Amazing, he took practices from 110% to 120%, adding to a warm-up portion which already featured 15-40 minutes of plyometrics and conditioning, Fatica said. Other players purposely came late to avoid it, but not Gavin. Gavin also played lacrosse growing up, and Trevor remembers one particular club game well. As a midfielder, the plan was for Gavin to play a few minutes before subbing out to save his legs. Gavin “zoned out,” Trevor said, and never heard his coaches screaming at him to get off the field. That effort benefited him in sports but became problematic in class. He just couldn’t sit still. It was tough to keep his energy focused on dragging lectures when he’d rather expend it on the court. Nicole said they eventually saw a pediatrician about it. They never received an official diagnosis, but Gavin decided to forgo any medication to prioritize sports. “We knew he was probably borderline ADHD but didn’t want to go the medication route if we didn’t need to,” Nicole said. “I think he was so worried, like, ‘Oh my god, if I take some medication, it’s gonna hold me down on the court.’” “He’s always been kind of off the walls,” Trevor added. That transitioned into Gavin’s time at G. Ray Bodley High School in Fulton. There, Broderick saw him treat every Monday practice, which often featured three-on-three competitions, like a Friday game. You’d rarely see Gavin on the losing team. He never exited a game unless he was injured or in foul trouble. Fulton assistant
Gavin Doty’s always been a bundle of energy. His motor got him to Syracuse.
doty’s Freshman to sophomore year jump at Siena
11.3
18.0
points per game
6.1
6.9
rebounds per game
coach Kyle Perry remembers him missing three or four matchups as a senior after tweaking his ankle, and it probably should’ve been more if they wanted him closer to 100%. He was never going to let them, and he was never going to let the injury change his game either. “His motor just never stops, whether we’re up by 40 or down,” Perry said. “It didn’t matter if there (were) eight minutes left in the game, two minutes left in the game. He just never ever seemed to be able to shut that motor off.” His motor seemingly never stopped at Siena either, and he took off once McNamara gave him an unlimited leash as a sophomore. Gavin became the Saints’ go-to guy, starting every game and never playing fewer than 27 minutes. Siena won the MAAC,
28.1
36.8
minutes per game
earning a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and drawing Duke. Beforehand, Gavin prayed with Fatica — their typical pregame routine. He prayed he’d “shock the world,” take over the game and, of course, win. He did two of those things. The Saints shocked the world, albeit in a loss, but Gavin rose to the occasion. McNamara faced criticism for his five starters playing the entire game due to a limited bench, but that didn’t matter to Gavin. Murray immediately knew the Blue Devils were in trouble. Early in the first half, Gavin handled the ball at the top of the key, took one dribble and nailed a turnaround jumper. He was already hitting big shots, and it wasn’t even crunch time yet. Gavin was battling two injuries. It didn’t matter. He still stuffed the stat sheet against the tournament’s No. 1 seed. Nicole noticed his face contort in pain while playing through the injuries. She saw even more once the adrenaline washed away. Gavin was seen hobbling through the tunnel after the game, and that off-kilter gait remained in the team hotel. The injury was serious enough that McNamara told Gavin to take a month off after the game to heal. “I remember I had adrenaline. I said, ‘I’m finishing the game,’ even if I couldn’t really move,” Gavin said. “And man, we fought. We had a real good shot.” Gavin and Siena executed their game plan, which Murray said was eliminating future top-3 pick Cameron Boozer and Duke’s frontcourt advantage. It held Boozer to 4-of-11 shooting. Nicole said Gavin was always the first one back after a missed shot, despite being limited. The Saints lost, but the “Energizer Bunny” hit the spotlight. Two weeks later, he transferred to Syracuse. Once McNamara took the SU job, Gavin’s decision was easy. He’d previously received interest from North Carolina, Duke and some Florida schools, keeping his options open as he waited for McNamara to make his choice, Nicole said. She added that he was uneasy about joining a Syracuse program in disarray, but McNamara’s move was the reassurance he needed. “I wouldn’t want to play for anybody else,” Gavin said. “I plan on playing for him for my whole college career.” It’s like looking in a mirror for McNamara. Gavin’s scrappy, ultra-competitive play — “that fire he brings everywhere,” as Trevor said — is eerily similar to how the man he looks up to attacked games with the Orange. Syracuse junkies know McNamara’s six 3s in the 2003 National Championship or his heroics in the 2006 Big East Tournament. Gavin’s already excelled on the big stage against Duke. Now, it’s about replicating that at SU. If anything gets him there, it’ll be his motor. “You gotta eat, sleep, breathe it. You gotta wake up with it, and that’s how the kid prepares,” McNamara said. “Those are the guys you want to lay down the line with.” njnussba@syr.edu @Noahnuss99
4 BASKETBALL GUIDE 2026
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MEN’S PREDICTIONS Syracuse men’s basketball is entering a new era. First and foremost, it has a new coach. Adrian Autry is out after three poor seasons, and program legend Gerry McNamara is in. In his first year, McNamara has big expectations of snapping the Orange’s five-year March Madness drought, as the program has become an afterthought in college basketball. With him comes a nearly completely new team. Among scholarship players, only top recruits Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony return from SU’s 2025-26 squad, while McNamara added seven transfers and five freshmen. Of them, Temple transfer Aiden Tobiason, Siena transfer Gavin Doty and four-star freshman Ryan Moesch stand out as potential major contributors. The Orange’s schedule features five Power Five nonconference opponents — Indiana, No. 13 St. John’s, Oklahoma, Providence and Rutgers. Here’s how our beat writers feel Syracuse will fare in McNamara’s first campaign:
NICHOLAS ALUMKAL THE DROUGHT ENDS 22-10 (10-8 ACC) MVP: AIDEN TOBIASON | X-FACTOR: MARK MORANO There’s an urgency percolating around Syracuse men’s basketball. It hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament in five years. That’s the longest drought since between 1966-72. That’s a long time. McNamara has been candid about the need to win and return to The Big Dance. He’s also — maybe more importantly — recognized his team needs to make huge strides to reach his desired level. But I trust McNamara to pilot his alma mater back to March Madness in his first year at the helm. Why? First off, McNamara led Siena to the tournament last year in a one-bid league and, once there, pushed the No. 1 overall seed Duke to the limit in a loss that garnered national attention. McNamara brought three standouts from his Saints team that proved they can hold their own against the mighty Blue Devils, headlined by Doty. The commendable roster-building doesn’t stop there. SU’s roster expectedly scattered when Autry was fired, but McNamara retained two budding players in White and Anthony. However, I’ve been most impressed by the transfers who can bolster the Orange’s 3-point shooting after it ranked second-to-last in the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage last season. Tobiason nailed 33.8% of his treys last year on the way to averaging 15.3 points per game with Temple. Once he recovers from his hamstring injury, he’ll be a vital piece for SU. And Slovenian freshman Mark Morano, who has playing experience in Europe, has already shown his proficiency from distance, knocking down four triples in an Oct. 18 exhibition against Siena. I see Syracuse dropping most of their marquee neutral-site nonconference clashes but putting together a respectable ACC record to put it on the right side of the bubble in an expanded tournament. McNamara will come up trumps in Year 1. The March Madness drought will end.
NOAH NUSSBAUM JUST A BIT OUTSIDE 18-14 (8-10 ACC) MVP: GAVIN DOTY | X-FACTOR: RYAN MOESCH Syracuse will certainly improve this season. The question is whether it’ll be enough to make March Madness. I’m predicting a healthy 18 wins for McNamara’s first year, but I still don’t see that as enough to make it in. While the tournament has expanded to 76 teams this year — a fact that slipped my mind in my hot takes last week — I wouldn’t be surprised if SU still misses out. The ACC isn’t a respected conference in terms of NCAA Tournament bids like the Southeastern Conference or Big 10, so I could see the Orange getting left out in favor of a bubble team from a different Power Five conference. Don’t get me wrong, I think this squad will be much better than the last two under Autry, when Syracuse had sub-.500 records. I expect a big jump from White, who McNamara convinced to stay another year. His defense is already superb, he just didn’t have the scoring touch as a freshman that I see improving with more opportunity. McNamara also did a good job filling the many open spots on his roster. Doty and Tobiason can really lead this offense, as they did at Siena and Temple, respectively. Doty has the motor to stay on the court for upwards of 35 minutes every game and the scoring prowess to make the most of that time. Moesch has also really impressed me across SU’s three exhibitions, leading the team in assists in all three. Though his minutes might be limited early, he looks like he could be a true asset. McNamara will certainly change the trajectory of this program. But I think a tournament bid will have to wait another year.
MAURICIO PALMAR MAKING IT TO MARCH 20-12 (9-9 ACC) MVP: SADIQ WHITE JR. | X-FACTOR: RYAN MOESCH I’m calling it. The wait will end this season. My fellow scribe, Noah, previously predicted that Syracuse would miss March Madness in his preseason hot takes article. It’s not a particularly hot take, at this point, as it would simply mean SU returns to the status quo. The past five editions of the NCAA Tournament have not featured the Orange. Is it really all that bold to predict the sixth one will continue that trend? I don’t think so. I think that I’m choosing the bolder stance here in saying that Syracuse, in its first year under McNamara, will finally make it back into March. There’s several reasons to think this. White, in his sophomore season at SU, is set to be the guy. His improved jumper gives him the potential to develop into a legitimate three-level scorer. Syracuse’s complementary pieces — like Luke Wilson and Garwey Dual — will ensure the defensive core of this team remains rock-solid. And its four-star freshman, Moesch, has the potential to be this team’s primary shot creator down the stretch. But beyond all that, the NCAA Tournament is expanding from 68 to 76 teams this March. I wouldn’t predict this team to have a strong enough resume to make the field of 68. For a field of 76, though, I think 20 wins will suffice, especially given the exceptionally weak state of last year’s tournament bubble. And I think the Orange have a strong enough roster to get there.
“
You still have to win, and he knows that. But he’s proven that he can do that. Jim Boeheim former syr acuse he ad coach
‘HERE
As a token of Syracuse’s past, BY Nicholas Alumkal senior staff writer
W
HEN GERRY MCNAM walked into the Carrier teenager, he imagined wha Syracuse could look like. He packed crowds, championships and t 3s falling. He lived that dream as a ing deliver the 2003 National Ch that defined his place in the progra Twenty-three years later, on 2026, as McNamara stood bef welcoming him back as Syra head coach, he returned to t of his 19 years as a player and the Orange. Then he brought the roo the present. “Now, here’s the reality work to do,” he said. Syracuse has entrusted t its men’s basketball progra the people most closely ass its past. The Orange hope ties that made McNamar player — competitiveness, connection to the commu help restore the program and end a five-year NCAA drought, its longest sinc Those around the program slow to adapt to the name likeness era, now know SU consequences if it doesn’t requisite support and succe “Syracuse needs to b (Madness),” McNamara sa that, and everybody arou gram knows that. Coming gram where I just did t everybody in the ‘Cuse k the full intention.” McNamara’s another inside the Syracuse fam decessor, Adrian Autry cherished when he was hi “Syracuse basketball is b the best of hands,” legend coach Jim Boeheim said the three years, Autry went from pariah among SU fans. He rarely wo frequently booed in his final campaign before be March 11. The Orange chose another figure synon SU to be its next head coach in McNamara. “They love him,” Boeheim told The Daily Oran a good start. They’ll love him as long as he wi gets here.” Few are more synonymous with Syracuse or m by its fans. If results don’t go his way, could t Ask anyone — Boeheim, former and current Ora donors — if McNamara’s perception will change they say it won’t. Fans can separate McNamara the player and the coach. You can’t take a national championship But no one wants to tempt fate. McNamara is to win. “Part of being in college at Syracuse as a stu the basketball team needs to be good,” McNamar should be non-negotiable.” •••
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE filled the Miron V concourse at the JMA Wireless Dome on a Mond in March for McNamara’s announcement ceremo That’s when it first hit McNamara that he wa head coach, he said. “That was probably the first day I thought, ‘ crazy,’” he said. “But since then, it’s been busines McNamara admitted he doesn’t enjoy the and media obligations that come with the job. same way at Siena. He wants to do what he love comfortable being a “hoop junkie.” Since his op conference, though, McNamara hasn’t sat back. “There’s a much larger task ahead than wor being the coach at Syracuse,” he said. “We nee job done.” Longtime SU men’s basketball donor Vin said there’s been a groundswell of excitem behind McNamara and fundraise for the pr his hiring. That’s essential in today’s co landscape, where NIL deals draw player a school. “Kids aren’t turning down seven, just because they want to play at t have a legendary coach or play in th
BASKETBALL GUIDE 2026 5
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TO WIN’
15
Gerry McNamara plots to steer its future
Years Gerry McNamara spent as an assistant coach at Syracuse
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3 PLAYERS FOLLOWED MCNAMARA FROM SIENA TO SYRACUSE former Syracuse forward Hakim Warrick told The D.O. “All that is gone.” Hiring McNamara is more than just hiring someone inside the SU family, Lobdell said. He’s one of the top-five most well-known players in program history. Lobdell realizes the Orange need money to succeed, and McNamara’s stature has helped fundraising. “The first year or two, the community, and for that matter, the university, was way behind through an NIL perspective,” Lobdell told The D.O. “Now, the university and certainly the community understands, and if we don’t get behind this program in a meaningful way financially, there won’t be a program.” A source familiar with the program’s thinking, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told The D.O. that SU spent just under $8 million on its roster during the 2025-26 season. On Oct. 21, CBS Sports reported Syracuse spent between $10-12 million on its roster this season. “Money-wise, we’re still not in the same ballpark that some schools in our league are,” Boeheim said. “That’s always a problem.” In July, Lobdell held his second annual Summer Slam fundraising event, which he said exceeded the program’s $1 million goal. He said he’d let the university speak to the total funds raised, but he trusts Chancellor Mike Haynie and Director of Athletics Bryan Blair, who were both hired earlier this year. “This university and this administration is fully aware of what it takes for the program to win, and I believe they’re 100% behind making that happen,” Lobdell said. “I don’t think we can understate how important it is for us to go in and be competitive, and I think that we will really show up and deliver this year.” Warrick, who won the 2003 National Championship alongside McNamara, understands money’s outsized role but trusts McNamara to get the most out of the money he has to build his team. McNamara retained heralded 2025 recruits Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony, whom he previously recruited as an associate coach. What’s more, McNamara brought three players from Siena, including March Madness standout Gavin Doty. Former Syracuse star Elijah Hughes was excited the Orange “kept it in the family” by hiring McNamara because of his familiarity with the program. He’s easy to play for, relates well with his players and puts them in spots to succeed, Hughes said. “We may not have a top financial allotment of money, but if you can get the most out of the guys, have everyone play together and get the right guys to fit your system, you can overcome not having the biggest budget,” Warrick said. Boeheim added money is a “big obstacle” the Orange must overcome. How does he think McNamara will handle the challenge? “He’ll do what it takes to get it there,” Boeheim said. “I’m very confident he will.” ••• WHEN MCNAMARA BECAME Siena’s head coach in 2024, he didn’t intend to return to Syracuse. “I was hoping I never came back here because it would mean Adrian had success,” McNamara said after he was hired in March. “That’s why I was emotional, because I walked away thinking I probably wouldn’t be back.” McNamara spent 15 years on SU’s coaching staff, working his way from a graduate assistant to associate head coach under Autry. McNamara admitted the window of “being the right age to go out and try to prove” himself was closing. So, he took his first head coaching job at Siena. “The thing I wasn’t really prepared for is how it stays with you everywhere you go,” McNamara said of becoming a head coach. “You take it home, you wake up with it and you go to sleep with it. The responsibilities you hold and the pressure you feel in terms of how many people you’re responsible for are things you just can’t prepare for. That was a learning experience for me.” McNamara knew the culture he wanted to establish and how he wanted Siena to play. “You have to play hard for me, or I can’t coach you,” he said of his identity. He learned to manage a team and delegate tasks, but he had the final say. “As an assistant, you have opinions,” McNamara said. “As a head coach, you have to make decisions. I have to make a lot more
Doty
4
Goodrick
5
Folefac
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decisions now, and they come quickly. You can’t take a ton of time, especially from game to game. You have to make quick decisions, learn on the fly and adjust on the fly. That’s the biggest difference.” He oversaw Siena’s turnaround, inheriting a team that went 4-28 in 2023-24 and converting it into a 23-12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament champion in 2026. While the Orange watched March Madness from the couch for the fifth consecutive year, McNamara pushed No. 1 seed Duke to the limit in the first round. Duke head coach Jon Scheyer even said McNamara outcoached him postgame. “He proved himself at Siena,” Boeheim said. “You want a coach that’s proven himself at that level. The fact that he’s coming home and the fanbase is very aware of who he is and what he did here gives him a little edge. You still have to win, and he knows that. But he’s proven that he can do that.” When SU announced McNamara as its next head coach, it was a “relief” to Warrick. McNamara’s former teammate believes the qualities he showed as a player will translate to coaching. “He’s not the biggest, not the strongest, fastest guy, but he was going to give it his all, and he’s going to get everything out of his players,” Warrick said. “He was going to give it his all. He was scrapping. He was going to fight. He may not have been the most athletic guy, but it was going to be a battle, and he was going to have to work for everything once you cross those lines.” Carmelo Anthony, another teammate and Syracuse icon whose son, Kiyan, was recruited and retained by McNamara, concurred on his podcast. “The North Star becomes available,” Anthony said of McNamara. “Tell me the timing ain’t perfect. It’s perfect. Tell me the universe don’t work in wonderful ways.” ••• PETER CORASANITI GOT CHILLS thinking about Syracuse returning to the NCAA Tournament. Corasaniti, the associate athletics director of men’s basketball and operations, worked as the team’s director of operations for the past seven years under Boeheim, Autry and now McNamara. He’s also a Syracuse native and university alumnus. “College basketball is better when the Orange and that orange jersey is playing on March Madness on Thursday and Friday,” Corasaniti said. “When you see this Syracuse jersey playing on those on the biggest stage, it makes the game better.” Corasaniti knows returning to the Big Dance is a challenge, even with the field expanding from 68 to 76 teams this season. “We’re here to win,” he said. “We’re not here to build a threeyear program. Obviously, we want to get success over that timeframe. It’s always about winning. The urgency is always there.” During SU’s media day on Oct. 9, McNamara held court before a phalanx of reporters and cameras on the basketball courts at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center. He peered up at the offices overlooking the court and saw his old room. He had “a lot of great opinions and ideas” in that office. As head coach, he’s moved a couple doors down. It’s about making decisions
that lead to wins, he continued. But he knows the team has work to do. “You can’t even put this team in the same realm as where Syracuse needs to be,” McNamara said after the Orange’s exhibition win over Siena on Oct. 18. “We’re nowhere near where we need to be. I’ve been adamant that this group should change the trajectory of the program, but we’re a long way from that.” Does the pressure of the undertaking weigh on McNamara? No, he said. He already puts the same — if not more — pressure on himself. McNamara wants Orange fans to do what they always do. “The people in our area and community have always come out and supported us. That’s all I can ask,” he said. “We’ve got to do the rest.” McNamara envisioned how his playing career would pan out when he arrived at SU. It went to plan. Now, he returns as head coach, carrying the affection of a fanbase that remembers what he helped Syracuse achieve. But the past can only buy him so much. To restore the program’s standing, end its historic NCAA Tournament drought and navigate the changing college sports landscape, McNamara must turn that goodwill into wins. njalumka@syr.edu @nalumkal
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‘JUST DO YOU’
Uche Izoje won’t shy from pressure as Syracuse builds around her
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If you played well last year, people are expecting you to do better this year Uche Izoje syr acuse center
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is more guard-focused, while the U.S. sees more action in the paint. “(Legette-Jack) took it slow,” Izoje said. “She understood me, and she put me through on everything. She kept her word.” Legette-Jack’s promise? That Izoje would suit up for the Orange. It came true in July 2025, when the NCAA granted Izoje three years of eligibility, and Legette-Jack announced it to the team after practice. Finally, Izoje could pause and breathe. She was certain she’d have a chance. ••• NUMBERS ALONE DON’T put into perspective how dominant Izoje’s rookie season was. Compare it to any other standout freshman year in Syracuse women’s basketball history. Nicole Michael became the first freshman to eclipse 500 points with 501 in 2007. Izoje scored 514. Kamilla Cardoso averaged 13.6 points and eight rebounds in 2021 before transferring to South Carolina, where she won two national championships. Izoje averaged 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. Her performances led 12-time national champion coach Geno Auriemma to call her the “best player we’ve seen this year,” before Syracuse faced UConn in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on March 23. Five days earlier, on March 18, Colomé helped negotiate a deal with Legette-Jack and her staff for Izoje to return to the Orange, with the
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#3 Nicole Michael 2006-07
IZOJE IS WITH her friend, Bolanle Yussuf, as they ride to Kansai International Airport in Osaka at the end of May 2025. They lived together with Jessica Dimaro while all attending Kyoto Seika Gakuen High School. Before Yussuf moved from Nigeria to Japan in 2020, Izoje video-called to introduce herself. Izoje helped translate school lessons as Yussuf acclimated to life in Japan. On the court, Yussuf looked to Izoje and copied her. When the three had time off, they cooked, danced and went to the arcade. They were each other’s support system, since all were around 8,000 miles from home. “We all don’t have parents with us in Japan,” Yussuf said. “We’ll always be there for each other.” So Izoje is here for her friend on this day at the end of May 2025. Yussuf is on her way to the U.S., where she’ll play college basketball at BYU. It was less of a goodbye and more of a “see you soon,” Yussuf said, but it’s still the last time they saw each other in person. In around a month, Izoje will make the same journey. She’s been on edge since the start of 2025, when she began speaking with LegetteJack. A disagreement over her contract with professional team Chanson V-Magic caused her to activate a buyout clause to move to Syracuse. Although she was allowed to sign with the Orange, the NCAA hadn’t yet granted Izoje eligibility to play in the U.S. She was a two-time All-Star and the 2024 Rookie of the Year in the Women’s Japan Basketball League, the nation’s top professional league. She was leaving her success in Asia behind without the guarantee of NCAA eligibility, and her mind raced as she debated whether it was the right decision. “I was thinking about so many things,” Izoje said. “It was really hard, but I’m here. Thank God for my agent and Coach Jack for not giving up on me.” But when Izoje got to the U.S., she adapted faster than she did in Japan. At Syracuse, fellow center Oyindamola Akinbolawa cooked Izoje whatever Nigerian food she wanted: egusi, fufu, ogbono and okra, to name a few. Basketball-wise, Izoje and Yussuf discussed the differences between playing in the U.S. and Japan as they both learned. In Japan, the game
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NVISION THE Uche Izoje Syracuse knows, the one who brought the Orange back into the national conversation. Remember the Izoje who left the court with her arm around head coach Felisha LegetteJack, a slight smile on her face, after dropping 23 points against Cal in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Second Round. Remember that fadeaway jumper. How often Izoje rose over her defender and hit a mid-range shot so automatic it became the expectation. But before the Orange open their season against Sacred Heart on Nov. 3, picture another Izoje. Picture her standing in Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, unsure whether she could play NCAA basketball when she arrived in the United States. Picture the Izoje who hasn’t seen her parents since leaving Nigeria eight years ago. That was the Izoje who landed in Syracuse in June 2025, before she scored more points and grabbed more rebounds than any freshman in SU women’s basketball history. “I was nervous,” Izoje said. “I was thinking, I was in the team, but my heart was not on the team. Because what if they don’t give me the eligibility?” Izoje’s anxiety eased when she was cleared in July 2025, paving the way for her 14 doubledoubles and Syracuse’s return to the NCAA Tournament. After such a year, Izoje could’ve gone anywhere, her agent Gerard Colomé said. But Izoje chose to stay because Syracuse gave her the freedom in the paint other programs didn’t. Now, Izoje is back for her second year with the Orange, and Legette-Jack has structured the team around the expectation that she’ll be double-teamed. “This year, they tried to build a roster and find pieces that could match better with Uche,” Colomé said. “They’ve been wise when it comes to building a roster.” Izoje hasn’t forgotten how Legette-Jack took a chance on her and told her she could revitalize the Orange. Legette-Jack trusted Izoje when Izoje didn’t know if she’d be allowed to play. By recommitting to SU, Izoje returns to the community that saw her 514 points and 303 rebounds. They remember how the words Uche Izoje and double-double became synonymous. Each time she steps onto the JMA Wireless Dome court, she’ll live in either the light or shadow of that transcendent rookie season.
uche izoje’s shot map vs. la sparks
2025-26
asst. digital editor
“If you played well last year, people are expecting you to do better this year,” Izoje said. “It’s pressure for me, but I just play my thing, do me and we’ll see how the outcome goes.”
2025-26
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understanding that SU’s success in the 2026-27 season began with keeping and getting the most out of her. “It was a rewarding feeling to make us understand that from one end, our company and also ‘Cuse were not wrong when they went out to recruit Uche,” Colomé said. “All the predictions and how big of a prospect we all thought she was, 10, 12 months later, that was a confirmation that we were not wrong.” Colomé got another confirmation when Izoje capped her freshman year with three exhibi-
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tions against WNBA teams with the Nigeria National Team. He attended the first game against the Los Angeles Sparks in San Diego State’s Viejas Arena. Izoje didn’t expect to score. The Sparks’ passes were faster, and their screens were more organized than anything she’d seen in the NCAA. And this was a Sparks team Colomé said practiced for a week and was “a little bit out of rhythm.” Izoje was staring at her dream. At the end of the first quarter, Izoje received the ball at the top of the key. She drove toward Cameron Brink in the paint and pulled up for a jumper. The make sparked Izoje, who finished the game with the Nigerians’ second-most points (10) and joint-most rebounds (five). “Anybody can play,” Izoje said. “(You) just need to have confidence in yourself that you can do it. It does not matter who you play, just do you.” ••• THE INEVITABILITY THAT Izoje would be doubleteamed this season loomed over Legette-Jack as she fielded questions during her preseason press conference on Oct. 7. The conference was held in advance of Syracuse’s exhibition with UConn on Oct. 12. Legette-Jack emphasized how she constructed the 2026-27 squad to maximize Izoje’s potential now that opponents know her ability. “Uche’s been getting double-, triple-teamed, and they didn’t have to come off of her because we didn’t have anybody to score,” LegetteJack said. “We were strategic and intentional about getting size that can put the ball in the hole.”
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Uche Izoje’s points per game as a freshman last season
Jaleesa Molina and Sarah Rambus, both 6-foot-3, averaged 9.9 and 6.3 points per game at Temple and Oregon last year, respectively. Rambus or Molina can provide the extra player in the paint when running a high-low offense, Izoje said. They’ve used the preseason to prepare, running double-team and physicality drills — where someone pushes against the player as they try to reach the basket — with Izoje. Rambus said Izoje has been dunking in practice. When she’s not training, Izoje still regularly calls Yussuf and Dimaro. Even though they’re in Utah and Virginia, the three friends still show up for each other. “When you go out, you brought everything on your chest, and you just want to tell your parents,” Yussuf said. “We don’t have parents here to talk to; we tell each other.” Izoje primarily spent her summer in Syracuse focusing on basketball. She fine-tuned her ball-handling, stamina and passing. After practice, she takes extra shots. But when Syracuse lost to UConn 88-60 in the exhibition on Oct. 12, Izoje struggled to combat the Huskies’ double-teams when she drove into the paint. The center finished an uncharacteristic 2-for-12 with seven points. “She had the worst game of her career,” Legette-Jack said postgame. “I’m glad this happened so that she can understand the magnitude of the moment. She will not be this person when you see her next time against Sacred Heart.” The day after that exhibition, Izoje became the first Syracuse player since 2023 to be named to the Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team. It was another reminder of the expectations following her freshman year. But Izoje embraces them. Yussuf was traveling when Syracuse played UConn, so she watched the highlights and called Izoje about what happened. Izoje told Yussuf she’s still excited for the season. She wants her family, especially her mom, to see what she’s done in the U.S. Basketball pulled Izoje from her family when she was 13. She’s moved continents twice in the last decade. When she arrived in central New York, she had no guarantee of NCAA eligibility. There’s always been pressure. It’s created the Uche Izoje Syracuse knows. “No matter what happens, you need to push through,” Izoje said. “Even the hard days, you just need to push. Everything will be fine.” peterhradosh@gmail.com @PeterRadosh
woMEN’S PREDICTIONS Syracuse women’s basketball has lost its spine. The Orange lost three significant backcourt contributors — Laila Phelia, Dominique Darius and Sophie Burrows. Each averaged double-digit points and accounted for over half of SU’s points per game. Phelia and Darius were one-year rentals, unlike Burrows, who played three seasons with Syracuse. While Burrows didn’t stay for Year 4, five players stayed for their second or third year. Among them was the Orange’s most important piece and last year’s leading scorer, Uche Izoje. Four other SU players stayed, including Shy Hawkins, a typical starter from the prior campaign. While Syracuse won 24 games, including an NCAA Tournament clash, it was a top-heavy squad. General manager Mykala Walker added depth in the transfer portal, which could help the Orange avoid a similar fate. In come former SMU guard Tyi Skinner, Oregon forward Sarah Rambus, Iowa wing Emely Rodriguez and Temple forward Jaleesa Molina. In an Atlantic Coast Conference that yields a brutal schedule, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year won’t be easy. Here’s how our beat writers predict Syracuse will hold up for the 202627 season:
SPENCER BROD UNFINISHED BUSINESS 20-9 (10-8 ACC) MVP: UCHE IZOJE | X-FACTOR: JALEESA MOLINA In last year’s iteration of these predictions, all three beat writers predicted SU would finish around .500. Given Syracuse’s 12-18 2024-25 season and roster uncertainty, .500 was a reasonable and potentially generous prediction. Enter Izoje. And Darius. And Phelia. The team projected to finish 13th in the ACC breezed through nonconference play, finished 12-6 in conference contests and even won an NCAA Tournament game. With Darius and Phelia gone, it’s fair to expect slight regression from SU this season. But with Izoje back and transfers Skinner, Rambus and Molina, I have a hard time believing Syracuse will fall off drastically. SU should cruise through its nonconference slate. There’s a legitimate chance it starts 11-1. From there, if the Orange grab a Quad 1 win or two, they should make the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. I went back and forth between Rambus and Molina as my X-Factor. Both should be solid complements to Izoje in the frontcourt this season. But I chose Molina because of her recent campaign with Temple. The Owls went just 15-17 last year, but Molina was a rare bright spot, averaging 9.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Even in their American Conference Championship Second Round loss, Molina tied for the team lead with 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting. SU ranked 12th in the ACC with a 42.1% field goal percentage last season, and I think Molina’s efficiency will greatly benefit Syracuse. SU regressed mightily after its 2024 NCAA Tournament appearance. Felisha Legette-Jack will ensure that doesn’t happen again, and the Orange will be back in the Big Dance. It’s just a matter of whether they’ll play UConn again.
JASON GLICK CLOSE CALL 19-10 (10-8 ACC) MVP: UCHE IZOJE | X-FACTOR: EMELY RODRIGUEZ It’s hard to pinpoint many flaws on Syracuse this year. The Orange have retained their leading scorer for the first time in three seasons in Izoje. She had the greatest freshman season for a center in SU history, claiming its second-ever ACC Rookie of the Year award. This team is built around Izoje, and the Orange have replenished some holes throughout the roster. The backcourt, for instance, now belongs to Skinner. I foresee the seventhyear guard acclimating quickly under former head coach Natasha Adair. Transfers Rambus and Molina can play the 4 or the 5 and should be high-volume contributors. But Syracuse’s season could hinge on Rodriguez, a junior who previously played at UCF and Iowa. She blossomed with the Knights, averaging almost 12 points a game as a freshman. Although last year with the Hawkeyes was cut short after six games, her perimeter shooting could make or break the Orange. Watching her in person at Mohegan Sun Arena on Oct. 12, I saw a legitimate shooter lead SU in scoring against a behemoth like UConn. However, it’s important to consider the schedule. Syracuse has a very easy nonconference slate, and I see it beginning 11-1. However, the ACC is a different beast, and the Orange were boatraced by multiple conference foes last year that retained key players and added impact transfers. Legette-Jack’s side will finish on the brink of the NCAA Tournament bubble, but with the expanded 76-team format, a few Quad 1 wins will push it over the top.
PETER HUA RADOSH RUN IT BACK 22-7 (12-6 ACC) MVP: UCHE IZOJE | X-FACTOR: EMELY RODRIGUEZ Yes, you read that right; I predict the Orange will match last year’s overall and conference records. Hence why I say they’ll run it back. My fellow scribes both predict Syracuse will take a step back after last year’s resurgence. But my question to them is, why? Legette-Jack has filled the gaps left by graduating students or transfers, and she’s tailored the team to adapt to an ACC that will double, or even triple, team Izoje. Skinner’s 13.6 points per game at SMU prove she can run the floor. Rambus and Molina are bigs who complement Izoje in the paint. When I spoke with Rambus two weeks ago, she said she’s been throwing lobs in practice for Izoje to dunk. Izoje’s 514 points and 303 rebounds last year speak for themselves. With the expectation that she’ll be double-teamed, 3-pointers will be a prominent part of SU’s game. Rodriguez was SU’s only player to drain multiple 3s during its exhibition against UConn. She was clinical inside the arc, too, draining 5-of-11 shots. All this will end in the Orange making their third trip to March Madness under Legette-Jack. The new 76-team format makes me more confident.
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‘LAST STOP’
At 4th school in 7 years, Tyi Skinner will end tumultuous career with SU BY Jason Glick asst. sports editor
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heck her Thursday afternoon schedule. Empty. Makes sense for a 25-year-old in college. Tyi Skinner wanders into the John A. Lally Athletics Complex lobby and locks eyes with the touchscreen on the right wall. Every Syracuse team appears, and Skinner finds women’s basketball on the left. No. 0, her number, is in the top-left corner. She clicks her headshot and opens a biography longer than any other Syracuse athlete. Her smile fades. “I wish SMU wasn’t even there,” she says. Skinner played at SMU last year, thinking it’d be her last collegiate season. However, an early-season injury granted her a seventh year of eligibility. But this is it. No shenanigans can extend Skinner’s career. After two years at Delaware, three at Arizona State and one at SMU, Syracuse is her final stop. She pledged to the Orange in April to become their starting point guard and replace Dominique Darius. When the opportunity loomed to play under associate head coach Natasha Adair, Skinner’s head coach with the Blue Hens and Sun Devils, she didn’t think twice. “I don’t plan on being in college much longer,” Skinner said. “When I first came into college, I didn’t think I was going to be here this long. I’m just glad to be reunited with my coach that I started everything with.”
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I don’t plan on being in college much longer. When I first came into college, I didn’t think I was going to be here this long. Tyi Skinner syr acuse guard
Skinner wasn’t supposed to play this year. The 5-foot-5 guard gained a COVID-19 year from her freshman season and another year after missing her second season at Arizona State with a right ACL tear. When SU head coach Felisha Legette-Jack said she wanted a starting point guard, her general manager, Mykala Walker, who was on Adair’s staff at Delaware and Arizona State, had someone in mind who recently secured an extra year. “That’s ‘Showtime,’” Walker told Legette-Jack, citing Skinner’s nickname. After landing Skinner, Legette-Jack posed her a burdensome task.
“I’m trying to have her go back even further to when she was a kid in Washington, D.C.,” LegetteJack said. “That kind of moxie kid.” Under Adair at Delaware, Skinner learned to be “calm,” contrasting the intensity Legette-Jack demands. Skinner was instructed not to get “too low” nor “too high.” Now, the 25-year-old will backtrack. Back to Amateur Athletic Union basketball with her club, Boo Williams, in Virginia. Back to Washington, D.C.-Maryland-Virginia basketball, which Skinner said encouraged verbal rather than physical intimidation. “When I was younger, I was a little more of a hothead,” Skinner said. “I was quick to get angry. I yelled a lot on the court. Some might say I had an attitude problem back then.” That attitude surfaced after Skinner failed to receive a Power Five offer out of high school. So, she stacked tips working the cash register and second window at McDonald’s and started a clothing brand, DIF3RNT BREED. Finally, current Delaware head coach Sarah Jenkins sought out Skinner at an AAU circuit she dominated. The Blue Hens had a starting point guard, junior Paris McBride, and wanted to plan for the future. “I love quick, little point guards,” Adair said. “She took over and just put the team on her back. I said, ‘That’s the one I want.’” Skinner said Adair, a DMV-area native, was the type of coach she wanted to play for. Adair said she felt like Skinner’s agent and mother, giving her financial advice and scheduling dentist appointments. Adair’s daughter even FaceTimes Skinner, and Adair’s parents constantly ask, “How’s Tyi?” “We speak the same language,” Skinner said of Adair. “She just know(s) where I come from. Cut from the same cloth.” Before every season, Adair hands players pieces of paper and tells them to write down goals. As a freshman at Delaware, Skinner wrote “20” on hers and returned it to Adair. “What are all these 20s?” Adair asked. “Whatever you want them to be,” Skinner said. “Twenty points, 20 assists, 20 rebounds.” Adair admired Skinner’s confidence but ripped the paper to shreds. Twenty minutes per game was more realistic, which translated to 8.8 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists a contest. Although Skinner missed two-thirds of her field-goal attempts, she met Adair’s expectations and helped the Blue Hens reach the Women’s National Invitation Tournament Second Round against Clemson. There, McBride went down, and Skinner threw up some prayers. They were answered. Skinner took and made two half-court shots and racked up 22 points in a win over the Tigers. She played all 40 minutes the next game against Villanova, scoring 22 again. “There’s nothing more Tyi when it comes to basketball than something like that,” said Lizzie Oleary, her Delaware teammate. While the Blue Hens fell to Rice in the semifinals, Skinner felt she gained the confidence to ask Adair a hefty question. Coach, do you trust me? No, Adair said. She lashed out in practice, even throwing a chair when she got upset. She was simply too immature. But a year later, Adair was the one approaching Skinner as she shot around. “Remember last year when you asked me, ‘Did I trust you?’” Adair began. “I do now. But that’s something that’s earned, and we got to build this trust together.” As a sophomore, Skinner started 30 games and averaged 12.8 points and tied for the team-high with 3.3 assists per contest. Delaware won the Coastal Athletic Association and made March Madness. Late in the CAA Championship against Towson, Skinner wasn’t expected to crash the glass for an offensive rebound, Oleary said. But she cheated up, grabbed it and drew a foul. “Somehow, the smallest girl on the court got the offensive rebound,” Oleary said. “People are looking at her like, ‘It’s OK. You just got to make one free throw.’”
Skinner’s road to syracuse
“Everybody calm down,” Walker and Adair recalled Skinner shouting at the stripe. Skinner sank both. After losing early in the NCAA Tournament, Adair took her first Power Five job at Arizona State. Before Skinner tagged along, she had to see where she fit in. “Who I gotta cook before I come here? I looked up who (their) leading scorer is,” Skinner said. “I got her. I’m finna dog everybody.” Walker remained Adair’s assistant, and more importantly, Skinner became a top player on a Power Five team. “She liked the idea because she knew that was a coach that she really held close to her heart,” Skinner’s mother, Yulanda Scott, said. ASU finished 1-17 in Pac-12 play, but Skinner broke out, averaging just under 20 points per game. She remained healthy, as she had for her entire career, until 2023-24, when Skinner tore her ACL before the season. “I wasn’t convinced my ACL was torn,” Skinner said. “I was actually delusional because I (had) never been hurt before. It didn’t process in my head that you cannot play on a torn ACL. I was like, ‘No. I’m OK. Look, I’m running.’” It was a difficult time. A few days later, Skinner flew home to Washington, D.C. to attend her godmother’s funeral. While sidelined, she told Adair she’d quit basketball. Scott scolded her daughter and Adair preached, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Skinner got the phrase tattooed on her right arm sleeve after freshman year. When she returned, Skinner trained tough, especially by former WNBA player and ASU assistant coach E.C. Hill. “I used to give her a hard time and tried to challenge her defensively,” Hill said. “She’d be like, ‘Coach, I’m locking down.’ I’m like, ‘Girl, no, you’re not.’” Skinner also faced heftier expectations as a fifth-year. Jyah LoVett, who now plays at Toledo, met Skinner on a recruiting visit and admired how she lived up to them. “She was shooting the mess out of the ball,” LoVett said. “She carried herself like she was a vet.” While Skinner’s 2024-25 season was her most efficient yet, shooting 38.1% from downtown, ASU lacked camaraderie, she said. Skinner’s 16.8 points only led the Sun Devils to three Big 12 wins, and Adair was fired. Walker said it’d be smart for Skinner to play for a new coach to boost her WNBA prospect status. By transferring to SMU, she worked with head coach Adia Barnes, who constantly faced Skinner as Arizona’s head coach. At an Atlantic Coast Conference school, Adair and Walker were naturally on SMU’s schedule. So last December, tears streamed down Adair’s face. She didn’t want to go to work. Syracuse was set to face the Mustangs, and Adair didn’t think she could stand opposite Skinner. “We didn’t talk about strategy, scout or anything, just from a professional standpoint. You can’t do that,” Adair said. “She needed to see me before shootaround.” The two hugged before tip-off. But during the game, Skinner’s eighth of the year, she exited with a season-ending injury that lingered throughout the campaign. A bone-spur removal surgery followed. “I went into SMU thinking it was going to be my last year,” Skinner said. While Adair and Walker coached at Syracuse, Legette-Jack was who won Skinner over when she decided to transfer. Skinner reminded SU’s head coach of another small guard, Dyaisha Fair, who she coached at Buffalo and Syracuse. It feels right, Adair said. Skinner’s journey ends with the same people it started with.
Except now, she might be college basketball’s oldest player. “Tyi was the baby, so she was the young one coming in,” Adair said. “Now, they call her ‘Grandma.’” Skinner frequently visits Adair’s office. The point guard glances at jerseys of players she’s coached who reached the WNBA. Skinner asks where hers is. Adair clarifies she’s far from the league. But because Legette-Jack wants Skinner to go back in time, she could embrace that distance. Back in time to when she unleashed from half court. Back when chairs flew. Whether Skinner believes she’s 19 or 25, Syracuse is her last chance to close that distance. “It definitely is the last stop,” Skinner said. jaglick@syr.edu @jason_glick
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ppg: 8.8 Rpg: 1.6 apg: 1.8
ppg: 12.8 Rpg: 2.8 apg: 3.3
ppg: 19.3 Rpg: 2.8 apg: 2.4
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ppg: 16.8 Rpg: 2.6 apg: 2.8
ppg: 13.6 Rpg: 1.8 apg: 3.6
BASKETBALL GUIDE 2026 9
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KING OF THE COURT Inside Amarri Monroe’s legal battle to finish career at dream school
BY Mauricio Palmar development editor
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HE NCAA’S HIRED MERCENARY parachuted in from Albany, dressed in attire that wouldn’t look out of place at prom: black suit, finely-trimmed beard, slicked-back black hair. In this courtroom, he stood alone. The opposing counsel, a three-man crew, sat to his right; the plaintiff sat behind them; and his inner circle sat behind him, watching intently as the judge asked Kevin Cannizzaro to explain why Amarri Monroe no longer has a right to play college basketball. “I just felt bad for that lawyer,” said Edgar Glascott, Amarri’s godfather. The argument was simple: Amarri played four healthy seasons — one at Wofford, three at Quinnipiac — which, in any year before the COVID-19 pandemic, would’ve been disqualifying. As of June 23, 2026, a new NCAA rule gives athletes five seasons in five years, but its transition provisions were specifically written to exclude athletes like Amarri — who were out of eligibility under the old framework — from using it. But the counter might’ve been simpler: Amarri — a 23-year-old Syracuse forward — never relinquished his amateur status by signing a professional contract, and he’s still well within the cutoff set through Bylaw 12.6, the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule. More importantly, nowhere in the text of that bylaw does it explicitly state that class of 2022 athletes who have played four seasons aren’t eligible for a fifth. “It’s a pretty simple bylaw,” said Dan Greene, one of Amarri’s lawyers. “Come to school, you get five academic years to play five years of sports.” On Sept. 17, a rather dreary morning, Cannizzaro tried avoiding that fact, pointing to ancillary documents and saying the NCAA can determine its own rules. But the judge, Jean Marie Westlake, kept returning to the one question Cannizzaro couldn’t answer. “Read me the plain four-corner language that says Mr. Monroe cannot play.” He couldn’t do that, because such language didn’t exist. Cannizzaro couldn’t prevent Amarri from receiving the injunction keeping the NCAA off his back. During the hearing, after Westlake continued pressing him to explain why Amarri was ineligible, he told her she was undermining the NCAA’s position. “Well,” Westlake said, sitting behind her bench. “Maybe it’s time for a change.” Nineteen days later, Westlake signed her decision. Twenty-six days later, Amarri played in a collegiate basketball game. ••• SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, the NCAA messed up. It could’ve saved a lot of billable hours by including a provision specifically excluding studentathletes who graduated high school in 2022. It also could’ve waited until August to pass this resolution, when these players would’ve moved on with their lives, or simply given the class of 2022 a fifth year across the board. Instead, the NCAA adopted this resolution on June 23 and paired it with a set of “transition provisions” found in an online press release, intended to guide its implementation. According to these provisions, athletes who used their last season of eligibility during the 2025-26 campaign — like Amarri — are supposed to receive “no additional eligibility.” That didn’t stop Amarri from transferring to Syracuse on Aug. 4, and that’s how the NCAA found itself hiring lawyers like Cannizzaro to defend its new rule. Amarri, the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Year, is one of hundreds of athletes caught in this legal limbo. According to an Indiana court brief filed on Oct. 21, the NCAA is now defending itself in over 150 active cases involving more than 700 athletes nationwide. On July 31, those athletes received a class-wide fifth year through an injunction granted in a case brought by Brock Wisne, a former Northern Colorado basketball player. But after that injunction was stayed on appeal, Amarri put together his own case. “Before the whole Colorado case happened, I was just so focused on starting my pro career,” Amarri said. “Once they gave me a little bit of light, I was like, ‘OK, now I’m gonna picture myself playing the entire season.’” About a decade ago, while attending Syracuse Law School, Greene became friends with Kevin Belbey. This past offseason, Kevin’s brother, Shaun Belbey, joined SU’s coaching staff as a video coordinator. Greene, who became a lawyer at Newman & Lickstein after graduating, reached out to congratulate him.
When it became evident Amarri needed his own case, Shaun gave him a proposition. “Let’s talk with the staff, and see if there’s anything we can do for Amarri,” Shaun told Greene. As it turns out, there was plenty they could do for Amarri. Greene — alongside Dean DiPilato and Steven Eychner — began representing him soon after, and they filed their case on Aug. 31. It was built around two core arguments. The first is an antitrust claim, which DiPilato says is much harder to prove in court. It requires expert analysis defining an economic market, proof Amarri is affected by this market and evidence showing the NCAA is barring him from participating in it.
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Never, ever, ever in a million years did I think I’d be playing at Syracuse Amarri Monroe syr acuse forward
The second is a breach of contract claim, which DiPilato said they found in a complaint filed against the NCAA by Georgetown center Vince Iwuchukwu. He thought it was an interesting theory, one better suited for state-level courts than the antitrust claims other cases relied on. The Division I manual, they argued, is a contract between the NCAA and Division I institutions. It decides which athletes can compete in Division I athletics and the rules under which they compete. Athletes don’t sign this contract, but New York state law allows third-party beneficiaries to bring breach of contract claims. Greene argues all NCAA athletes are third-party beneficiaries of this contract, since the manual governs their lives. Thus, by preventing Amarri from playing under the Division I manual’s bylaw, the NCAA is breaching a contract to which he is a thirdparty beneficiary. To win the injunction, Amarri’s lawyers had to prove two things: Amarri would suffer “irreparable harm” if it wasn’t granted, and they had a “likelihood of success.” The former was evident. If Amarri didn’t receive the injunction, he’d lose the season and his eligibility would expire. The latter is where their arguments came in. If this didn’t land him an injunction, nothing would. ••• IT’S DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN exactly why Amarri’s fighting so hard for this fifth year without explaining what happened to him at Wofford, and it’s difficult to explain what happened to him at Wofford because Amarri doesn’t talk about it. He’s never explained it to his mother, Yvetta Monroe. “I don’t know exactly what happened there,” Yvetta said. “To him, it’s like a blocked memory.” All Yvetta knows is that, in February 2023, Amarri returned to Newburgh, New York, and parked on her couch. Amarri wears his emotions on his face, she says, and the face he wore said it all. His lips were stuck in a permanent pout. His teeth disappeared for months; no smiles, not even a smirk. His head — usually high atop his 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame — hung low. He was determined to quit basketball. He told Yvetta to burn his Wofford gear, but she never did. “He was mentally drained,” Yvetta says, almost four years afterward. Amarri always wanted to go to Syracuse. During his senior year at Newburgh Free Academy, SU’s coaching staff gave him a look but didn’t have a spot for him. He was told, if he took a prep year, they’d spin back around in 2022. But after shipping off to Kent, Connecticut, for a postgrad year at South Kent School, that offer never came. He chose Wofford, setting into motion a freshman season so disastrous he tried filing a waiver that would’ve made it a redshirt year. It began on Dec. 30, 2022, when Terriers head coach Jay McAuley resigned. Allegedly, McAuley required film studies and practices beyond the NCAA’s weekly 20-hour limit. “He would call you at 8 a.m. and ask you a question about film,” said Chase Martin, a former Wofford guard. “And some players didn’t like that.” Around Christmas, Yvetta said, Amarri called her, telling her the Terriers were going on strike if McAuley was still coaching by New Year’s Day. The team got their way, and McAuley was replaced by associate head coach Dwight Perry in the interim. Overall, Martin said Perry did a good job with the hand he was dealt. But at times, Martin added,
Perry yelled at players, was sarcastic toward them and “got onto people.” Joe Spinelli, another Wofford guard, said he felt Perry sometimes “pushed the wrong buttons” with players. On several occasions, Amarri and Perry got into heated arguments during practice. East Tennessee State, where Perry now coaches, did not respond to The Daily Orange’s requests for comment. “The way I would put it is, if Coach Perry was the head coach that recruited us, would we have committed there?” Martin said. “I don’t know if we would have, necessarily.” The final straw came a few days after Amarri’s best game of the season, an 11-point showing against Furman on Feb. 4, 2023. Martin doesn’t remember what Perry said to prompt it, but after another mid-practice argument, Amarri stormed out of the gym during a free-throw drill. “He wants to be coached,” Glascott said about Amarri’s time under Perry. “He doesn’t need to be screamed at or disrespected.” Soon after, Perry took the team to Hub City Scoops, a since-closed ice cream shop about a mile off campus. There, he addressed his players, discussing mental health and informing them Amarri was no longer with the team. “Coach’s heart was in the right place,” Martin said. “But I think we all kind of thought it was corny.” ••• THE NIGHT BEFORE the hearing, Yvetta didn’t sleep a wink. Midnight came fast, and 5:30 a.m. came faster. Glascott pulled into her driveway to pick her up at the crack of dawn on Sept. 17 and found her trying to wrap her head around the same thought for hours. Who goes up against the NCAA and wins in court? She was about to find out. After making the three-hour drive to Syracuse, they watched Westlake pick apart Cannizzaro’s position at the hearing. At one point, she asked him to explain how the NCAA deems SU guard Gavin Doty eligible, for argument’s sake. Cannizzaro replied: “Your Honor, I’m not familiar with Gavin Doty.” Still, the hearing did nothing to ease Yvetta’s nerves. When she returned to Newburgh, she was up all night again, taking notes and trying to understand everything the judge said. Westlake told them a decision would come within 10 days, then blew through that deadline. Amarri wasn’t listed on SU’s roster yet. He couldn’t appear on its social media feeds, either. “I was getting kind of ticked. I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, he’s part of the team.’” Glascott said. “And I think Amarri felt the same way, too. Like, ‘Do you want me here or not?’” Then the decision — and the injunction — came on Oct. 6. Two days later, Amarri took a picture of the JMA Wireless Dome, trying to soak it all in. It’s difficult for him to believe he’s here. “Never, ever, ever in a million years did I think I’d be playing at Syracuse,” Amarri said. A week later, Amarri played his first game for Syracuse, an exhibition against UConn. He was SU’s second-leading scorer, netting nine points in the 72-52 loss. There were stretches of good play, Syracuse head coach Gerry McNamara said, but he’s not in the elite condition that made him a star at Quinnipiac just yet. He’s been waiting for ages. This was a moment years in the making. This was for the kid who voluntarily took on an additional year of high school, praying Syracuse would come with an offer. This was for the kid who was ready to quit basketball, only relenting because his mom would kick him out if he
didn’t. This was for the kid who, last March, spent an eternity letting out heaving sobs in the locker room after his final Quinnipiac game, thinking he’d never do this again. “Definitely surreal,” Amarri said, standing in a Mohegan Sun Arena hallway, searching for the words to describe how it felt to put on his jersey in the morning. “It just didn’t feel real at all.” The NCAA could appeal his injunction, or it could decide not to and litigate the case to completion. If a court finds Amarri ineligible down the line, DiPilato says the NCAA cannot retroactively punish Syracuse for rostering him, pursuant to the injunction. That’s about the only guarantee in this world. On paper, Amarri has a six-figure NIL contract, a scholarship and an injunction telling him he can play. But all he really has is tonight, the dream he’s living each time he looks in the mirror and the hope that he never has to wake up. mjpalmar@syr.edu @PointPalmar
10 BASKETBALL GUIDE 2026
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FINDING HER FIT Sarah Rambus left Oregon to grow. She trusts SU will help her do that.
BY Spencer Brod asst. sports editor
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hen Sarah Rambus first met Jim Boeheim, she didn’t know who he was. Rambus walked out of a training room and saw her head coach, Felisha Legette-Jack, watching a Syracuse men’s basketball practice with Boeheim. SU’s senior forward had never met the legendary coach but wasn’t afraid to introduce herself. Boeheim, who coached SU men’s basketball from 1976-2023 and won the program’s only national title in 2003, was impressed by Rambus’ confidence and respect. “That young lady understands the culture here,” Boeheim told Legette-Jack. Rambus felt honored by Boeheim’s comments. For Legette-Jack, it’s part of the culture she’s building at SU. “Those are things that we really think are imperative for this program,” Legette-Jack said. “It’s too important. It means way too much.” Confidence. It’s something Rambus had when interacting with Boeheim but lacked at Oregon. Throughout three years with the Ducks, Rambus played center instead of power forward and felt she wasn’t unlocking her potential. So, she transferred to Syracuse, where she can maximize her skill set alongside
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I needed a change of scenery. I needed to grow. I needed to be the player I know I can be. Sarah Rambus syr acuse forward
reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje. “We’re gonna put the ball in her hands,” SU general manager Mykala Walker said of Rambus. “We’re gonna let her loose. We’re gonna put her in positions where she can showcase what she’s really good at.” A key reason Rambus chose Oregon was head coach Kelly Graves’ track record of players reaching the WNBA. Sabrina Ionescu. Satou Sabally. Nyara Sabally. The list goes on. As a freshman, Rambus started just once and averaged 3.5 points per game on an 11-21 squad. She sat behind starting forward Grace VanSlooten and was inspired by how VanSlooten constantly had the ball in her hands and never stood still. Rambus’ field-goal percentage jumped from 41.1% in Year 1 to 48.9% in Year 2, yet she still only started once. She started 17 times her junior year, averaging career highs in points (6.3), rebounds (2.4), assists (0.8) and field-goal percentage (53.7%). But halfway through her junior year, Rambus lost her starting spot. Confusion blanketed her mind. She thought she’d proven herself. Vic Rambus, her father, was also perplexed about why his daughter, who he said consistently put Oregon on her back, wasn’t starting consistently. “There were games where Oregon was playing lousy, and it put Sarah in, and Sarah would bring it back from an eight-point deficit, a six-point deficit or hit nine to 12 shots in a row and pull it out of the deficit,” Vic said. “And the coach will take her out and go back to the 3s and 4s shooting the ball.” Even when Rambus started, she played
center, despite being a natural forward. Vic said Oregon made her a 5 because she was quick and agile. But that was nonsense. Forcing a stretch 3 or 4 to play the 5 was “physical and mental abuse,” Vic said. He said Oregon didn’t teach her skills to defend “true centers” effectively, tell her what she needed to improve or “put her in a position for her to be as good as she could’ve been.” Toward the end of her junior season, Rambus grew increasingly disconnected with Graves and Oregon’s coaching staff. They weren’t receptive to each other after she lost her starting spot. In an exit meeting for the season, Graves told Rambus he “beat himself up” because he didn’t know why he couldn’t unlock her full potential. Graves told Rambus she always had a spot on Oregon’s roster, but even if she returned as a senior, a starting role or opening at the 4 weren’t guaranteed. Rambus and her father were confused, given Rambus’ junior-year improvements, but the coaching staff told her team decisions run like a business. “She felt like, ‘Man, I gave you guys three years of my life. I’ve been lawyering for this team. I’ve been putting in the work. I’m developing and getting better every year, every semester, every season. My statistics show it,’” Vic said. Rambus also felt she wasn’t learning anything new from Graves late in her junior season. Simply put, she wasn’t getting Graves’ coaching anymore. While she gained valuable experience from four March Madness games, she said she was ready for a change. “I got complacent at Oregon,” Rambus said. “I needed a change of scenery. I needed to grow. I needed to be the player I know I can be.” Rambus didn’t want to leave Oregon. But she knew she had to in order to fulfill her WNBA aspirations. “She couldn’t understand why her opportunity was shrinking when her eligibility was shrinking as well,” Vic said. “She wanted to go someplace where she could make a difference, where she wanted the chance to do what she’s capable of doing.” On April 13, Rambus committed to SU with one year of eligibility. She cited Legette-Jack and Syracuse assistant coach Natasha Adair’s attitude and experience as main reasons for joining. Though Rambus has only been at Syracuse since June, she feels she’s already learned more than she would’ve at Oregon and has the chance to reach the pros. She specifically pointed to learning to guard post players and expanding her footwork. For Rambus, Syracuse’s coaching staff’s meticulous attention to detail stands out. “I feel like, at Oregon, we were too laid back. We had no discipline at all,” Rambus said. “At Syracuse it’s none of that. It’s discipline. Hands behind our back while (Legette-Jack is) talking. She’s very old school in how she runs things.” SU’s general manager thinks Legette-Jack is the right coach for Rambus to feel comfortable. Walker said Graves didn’t emphasize rebounding and playing in transition, but Legette-Jack does, especially as a star rebounder at SU from 1984-88. In practices, Legette-Jack has stressed tracking balls off the rim and glass and playing quickly. When Rambus arrived at Syracuse, she wasn’t used
to running up and down the court. Now, Walker said, Rambus can do so faster than some SU guards. “She fits here,” Walker said. Along with improving her rebounding, Walker hopes Rambus can avoid fouls this season. Rambus committed a career-high 2.3 per game at Oregon last season and had eight games with four. Legette-Jack and SU’s staff have routinely emphasized playing defense and getting to a spot with your feet rather than playing with hands. For Rambus especially, Walker said it’s important she keeps her hands where referees can see them. “Just training to always have our hands up on the ball, off the ball too,” Rambus said. “You’ll be surprised if you try to hold your arms up for 30 seconds; it starts burning.” Syracuse lost Dominique Darius, Laila Phelia, Sophie Burrows and other key players after last season. In rebuilding SU’s roster, Walker prioritized bringing in players who could add another element to Izoje’s game and keep teams from doubleteaming her. Walker said that, last year, teams came off SU’s other bigs and didn’t worry about them because of Izoje. But with Rambus, Syracuse has two inside forces who constantly challenge each other in practice, Walker said. “Their chemistry is getting so much better,” Walker said. “Uche having somebody to back her up gives her a little bit of ease inside. It’s not all on her shoulders; she gets to share the load, and we’ve gotten to see that a lot.” Two thousand eight hundred and three miles. A different conference. Different coaches. A different frontcourt partner. Sarah Rambus trusts Syracuse will get the most out of her. Something Oregon couldn’t do. And that’s why she took a gamble. “You gotta go in order to grow,” Rambus said. sabrod@syr.edu @spencerbrod20
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