Former Virginia Tech coach and ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg joined longtime Syracuse beat writer Mike Waters ahead of ACC Tipoff in Charlotte and went through Gerry McNamara’s roster player by player. He had already watched film and practice, and he didn’t hold back.
Here’s what he said about every Syracuse player he discussed.
The Siena transfers
Greenberg believes the three players McNamara brought from Siena are the foundation of the roster.
“Those three guys that he brought with him, quite honestly, are really pivotal,” he said. “Not that they’re going to be the three best players. They’re all good players, but they’re the culture creators. They’re the guys that have played for him. They’re the guys that understand what he wants and how he wants it done. They’re the guys that can help coach the locker room.”
Kiyan Anthony
Greenberg’s longest answer was about Anthony, and it was part defense, part challenge.
“Kiyan is wired to score,” he said. “Shot selection improvement is going to have to be pivotal. He’s going to have to be able to do it against good teams. He’s got to learn to play with others.”
On the expectations that come with his last name: “People want, well, it’s Carmelo’s kid. But he’s not Carmelo. He’s his own person. He’s got his own body. He’s his own player. To throw him in with that expectation was unrealistic and unfair.”
And on what comes next: “He has a passion for the game. He has a good feel for the game. He’s got to be tougher. He’s got to defend more consistently. He’s got to make good decisions in terms of shot selection. But he’s a talent, and that’s Gerry’s job now: to get him to be a winning player and not just a guy that’s going to score.”
Sadiq White
“He’s what I call a suspect prospect,” Greenberg said. “He’s got incredible potential: the electricity, how hard he plays, the energy he plays with, his ability to change ends of the floor, his ability to rebound, multiple-position defend.”
On the offseason buzz about White’s jumper, Greenberg pointed to an NBA comparison: “People say, ‘Oh, I see him shooting threes.’ People saw Ben Simmons shooting threes also. He’s not going to be a volume three-point shooter. But he can run, he can rebound, he can defend, he can get to the glass, he can get to the free-throw line, and he can defend multiple positions.”
He also liked what he saw at practice: “The coach was getting on him about something and he embraced coaching.” His bottom line: “Keeping him was really, really important.”
Mark Morano Mahmutovic
Greenberg pulled film on the freshman wing before the interview.
“He’s 6-6, it seems. He’s kind of a versatile scorer. He’s really crafty around the basket. He can shoot it. Good bounce,” Greenberg said. “Understands change of pace, understands change of direction, understands how to wait on screens, understands how to slide to windows to knock down open shots. Not afraid to stick his nose in there.”
The adjustment will be physicality: “The speed of the game he’s going to have to play in the ACC is going to be a little different. People are going to get underneath him a little bit.” Still, Greenberg called him “a really, really important piece” and “a guy that won’t be afraid of the stage.”
Gavin Doty
Greenberg likes the Siena transfer paired with the freshman: “You’re talking about two 6-6 guys that have feel and have size and can score and are ball movers. Those two guys have been pretty good together.”
Aiden Tobiason
The Temple transfer averaged about 15 points per game as a sophomore last season.
“Good wingspan. Decent shooter. Long,” Greenberg said. “If they’re going to play the zone, not bad coming out, pushing the ball out on the wing. Maybe can cover up, block a shot, rebound on the weak side. A guy with a lot of upside who has played for a very good coach at Temple. Got to get stronger. He’s a guy that’s going to be a 20-plus-minute-a-game player, which is good. You want to stack those guys.”
The rotation
“I would think Gerry would want to get to eight,” Greenberg said. “A point sub, a wing sub and a frontcourt sub, ideally. Then you’re in pretty good shape.”
The money
Waters estimated McNamara has $2 to $3 million more to spend on the roster than Syracuse had in recent seasons. Greenberg explained what that money means in today’s college basketball.
“If you’re paying a kid $6 million, that guy’s making $200,000 a game,” he said. “If you’re paying a kid a million dollars, he’s making $32,000 a game. You better make sure you’re paying the right guys.”
The challenge ahead
Greenberg said the hardest part of McNamara’s first season won’t be the talent. It will be getting a mostly new roster to buy in.
“You’re getting paid to have a plan and make sure you recruit the right guys, and then get guys to embrace and champion roles,” he said. “Don’t compare yourself to the guy you’re sitting next to. Celebrate his success.”
That’s where McNamara’s Siena core comes in, and it’s what will decide whether this collection of new pieces becomes a team when the Orange tip off in a few weeks.
