Does this recent development help the Orange as they work to become a contender under Gerry McNamara?
After losing several key players to graduation (JJ Starling, William Kyle III) and the transfer portal (Tyler Betsey, Naithan George, Donnie Freeman), the Syracuse men's basketball team is in need of an influx of talent this offseason.
Luckily, new head coach Gerry McNamara has already secured the commitment of multiple high-profile transfers, including Gavin Doty of Siena.
And now, recent developments could help the Orange even further.
On Monday, top high school recruit Dylan Mingo announced he will be reopening his commitment after initially announcing his intentions to play for North Carolina. The 6'5 Mingo committed to the Tar Heels in February, but the school fired head coach Hubert Davis in March after a disappointing loss in the opening round game in the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina has since hired former NBA head coach Michael Malone. Malone helped lead the Denver Nuggets to a championship in 2023, but Mingo evidently wants to re-test the waters.
Who is Dylan Mingo?
Mingo is ranked as the number two point guard, and ninth overall player, in the Class of 2026 according to the ESPN100. On3 has him as the No. 2 point guard
Rivals analyst Jamie Shaw also said this about Mingo
"Mingo is an excellent defensive presence. Able to turn a primary ball handler while guarding the point of attack or switching down a line up to defend off the ball, or closer to the basket. He has excellent length and great anticipation with a “want-to” on the defensive side of the ball. He collects a lot of deflections an can be disruptive on that end.“
Player connections to Syracuse
Dylan and his younger brother Kayden (more on him later) were teammates with Kiyan Anthony at Long Island Luthern High School. The three players' efforts combined help lead the Crusaders to The Throne Title in March 2025. Anthony has yet to speak publicly or on social media about his former teammates' future college basketball landing spots.
Coaching connections to Syracuse
There is already a connection between the current Orange staff and the Mingo family. Recently hired assistant coach Jamal Brunt coached Dylan's older brother, Kayden at Penn State.
Kayden Mingo averaged 13.7 points and 4.3 assists per game last season. The 6'3' guard signed with Penn State as a four-star prospect. The Long Island Lutheran alum could provide a spark to the Orange offense, especially after losing guard JJ Starling to graduation.
The Orange are also looking to replace George, who signed with Pittsburgh after entering his name into the portal earlier this month.
Kayden Mingo is currently in the transfer portal and will have three years left of eligibility.
Likelihood of Mingo Brothers joining Syracuse
Unfortunately for Orange fans, it seems unlikely that both brothers will be playing for Syracuse next season. If the highly touted Dylan Mingo is going to receive a similar NIL payment to other elite prospects, it's possible that he is out of the Syracuse budget. Last year, five-star prospect, and the potential number one pick, in June's NBA Draft Darryn Peterson',s estimated NIL valuation was 3.8 million dollars.
Syracuse's NIL budget for the 2025-26 campaign was reported as being close to 8 million dollars. If the Mingo brothers combine to ask for a price of $6-8 million dollars, that leaves little room for the Orange to continue to bring in other pieces. That also does not factor players who are already on the roster and who have already signed in the transfer portal.
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