The Orange are hoping to bring Amarri Monroe into the fold from Quinnipiac, but they may not be able to after all.
As a result of a recent preliminary injunction that granted college athletes from the high school Class of 2022 an extra year of eligibility for the 2026-27 academic year, the Syracuse men's basketball team reportedly brought in transfer forward Amarri Monroe, formerly of Quinnipiac.
However, the NCAA continues to protest the injunction, vowing to fight it. They say it never should have been granted in the first place and they want it banned permanently. There's no telling when a final ruling could be given, but with fall sports games beginning this week, things need to move quickly.
If Syracuse is able to bring in Monroe, it instantly ups the ceiling of the roster, which has been totally rebuilt under new coach Gerry McNamara. The Orange went 15-17 a year ago, missing the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight year. The program fired previous head coach Adrian Autry before hiring McNamara, who had been the head coach at Siena for two seasons.
He made the NCAA Tournament in 2025-26, nearly getting the No. 16 Saints to upset the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils.
About Monroe
After one year at Wofford, the New York native starred at Quinnipiac, earning MAAC Player of the Year honors in 2024-25. While he wasn't the Player of the Year in 2025-26, he was a first-team All-MAAC selection after leading the Bobcats in scoring at 15.6 ppg, rebounding at 8.3 and steals at 2.3.
He's listed at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds. Remember, McNamara saw him for both his seasons at Siena, so he clearly knows that he can play and help the Orange.
St. John's Red Storm guard Simeon Wilcher (7) looks to drive past Quinnipiac Bobcats forward Amarri Monroe (2) in the second half at Carnesecca Arena. Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesSo how does Syracuse handle this?
It's unclear, frankly, but you'd have to imagine the the Orange will continue to let Monroe work out with them through the rest of the offseason. If he's deemed ineligible eventually, he'll be free to stay in school as a student or leave and pursue other opportuntiies.
Again, time is of the essence as this decision impacts schools across the country and across multiple sports.
Also in the news for SU
The Orange football team is back on the practice field on Wednesday afternoon and SyracuseRoundtable will have live coverage from our own Tom Goslowski.
Syracuse went 3-9 last season, but things are looking up this season because of the health of Steve Angeli, who is back after tearing his Achilles in 2025. The Orange lost eight straight games after his injury.
