Five years.
That’s how long it will have been since Syracuse basketball last heard its name called on Selection Sunday when March arrives.
And after watching Gerry McNamara’s first Orange team practice this week, CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein sees legitimate reasons to believe the drought could finally end.
But he also left Syracuse with one enormous question.
Where are the All-ACC players?
Rothstein visited practice Tuesday and described Syracuse as a potential NCAA Tournament bubble team in McNamara’s first season.
“There’s great depth, there’s great balance, and there’s great collective buy-in,” Rothstein said.
Those are encouraging words considering what McNamara inherited. Syracuse has missed five consecutive NCAA Tournaments since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2021. Now G-Mac has essentially reconstructed the roster and tried to establish a new identity immediately.
Apparently, that part is taking.
But March teams usually need dudes.
Who is Syracuse’s?
That’s the fascinating question surrounding this roster.
Maybe it’s not obvious yet because the Orange’s strength really will be its depth. Maybe McNamara can win without one player dominating the offense every night.
Or perhaps somebody is about to emerge.
Rothstein offered two particularly intriguing possibilities.
He noticed Sadiq White taking and making 3-pointers with significantly more regularity than he did last season. That’s potentially a major development for a player whose athleticism already made him one of Syracuse’s most intriguing young pieces.
Then came the real eyebrow-raiser.
Freshman 7-footer Abdramane Siby was “unbelievable in spurts,” according to Rothstein, who offered quite the comparison: Baye Moussa Keita with a 3-point shot.
“Abdramane Siby,” Rothstein said. “Remember the name.”
For Syracuse fans, that certainly qualifies as preseason catnip.
But Rothstein’s larger observation shouldn’t be ignored.
Syracuse apparently has depth.
It has balance.
It has buy-in.
Now it needs someone to become great.
Because ending this NCAA Tournament drought probably requires at least one player who can turn a close ACC game in February into a Syracuse victory.
After five years of watching March Madness from home, merely having a functional, deep roster feels refreshing.
But McNamara wasn’t brought home just to make Syracuse respectable again.
The goal is March.
And after getting an early look inside practice, one of college basketball’s most recognizable insiders believes Syracuse might be close enough to make things interesting.
Now somebody has to become the star.
