Jon Rothstein spent the day with the Orange on Tuesday.
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball team is still about seven weeks from the start of the 2026-27 campaign, and the first one under new head coach Gerry McNamara, but excitement is building.
And that excitement reached a fever pitch on Tuesday when CBS Sports Insider Jon Rothstein spent the day with the Orange, taking in a practice and learning all he can about the new operation.
He posted a series of interesting takeaways on "X," and here are the ones that will resonate with SU fans the most.
Syracuse looks like NCAA Tournament bubble team
The Orange haven't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2021, and the five-year drought is the longest in program history. Last year's team went 15-17, which caused head coach Adrian Autry to be fired, but with an expanded tournament field (76) this year, there is reason for optimism.
Rothstein pointed out that the strengths of the Orange lies in their depth, balance and collective buy-in to what the program is building.
He says the biggest question is: Who is the true star of this roster? Clearly, he feels the team is good, but there isn't someone who is a true All-Conference standout, just yet.
Potential starting five
Rothstein acknowledges that it's early, but he predicts that Garwey Dual, Aiden Tobiason, Kiyan Anthony, Sadiq White Jr., and Luke Wilson will be the team's starting five.
Dual is a transfer in from McNeese State who is known as a great defender, Tobiason is a shooter who comes in from Temple and Wilson is a big man, who is also a defensive presence, from Appalachian State.
White and Anthony are obviously returners to the fold from a year ago.
Two things to note: 1) Dual is currently battling a collarbone injury and is not cleared for full contact. How does that impact things? And 2) It's interesting to see Gavin Doty not on this list, considering he was an impact transfer who followed McNamara in from Siena.
Syracuse Orange forward Sadiq White Jr. (0) shoots during the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at the JMA Wireless Dome. Rich Barnes-Imagn ImagesWhite's offensive evolution
Rothstein noted that White has looked more comfortable from beyond-the-arc in practice. That would be a major development for the Orange, as he hit only seven 3-pointers last season. The Orange need to improve their outside shooting, and if White can be part of the solution, that's a big win for McNamara's group.
Up next
The Orange kick off the exhibition season on Oct. 13 against UConn at Mohegan Sun.
