UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- The Syracuse Orange men's basketball team will play its first game under new head coach Gerry McNamara on Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET), when the group takes on the UConn Huskies at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Sure, it's just an exhibition game, but it's the revitalization of a longstanding Big East rivalry that will give longtime fans some nostalgia.

The two teams have met 90 official times since 1950, with Syracuse going 53-37. They haven't played for real since 2018, but McNamara made it a point shortly after he was hired to say that he wants to reconnect with some of Syracuse's historic rivals.

UConn is on that list, and the team is also playing St. John's, Rutgers and Providence this season.

With that in mind, here's three things we're looking forward to seeing in the exhibition opener:

Because of the transfer portal, you tend to see power conference teams loaded up on upperclassmen that have come in from other places. Sometimes, you forget about the idea of a freshman being in a program and growing up over a four of five-year span.

We're going to get a chance to see Anthony grow up this season. Yes, he had great moments in his first year, but he also had clear room for improvement, specifically in the strength department.

By all accounts, he's made substantial gains physically in the offseason and I saw him in person on Monday night when the Syracuse women played the UConn women. He does look different, and that strength should help him get to the basket and absorb contact easier. And it should also help him defensively as well.

Syracuse lost its entire starting lineup from last season and brings back only Anthony and Sadiq White Jr. as valuable returners. So, basically, this is an entirely new roster.

Will Aiden Tobiason be able to bring substantial improvement to the 3-point shooting department? Is Garwey Dual really as good a defender as we've heard he is? Can Gavin Doty provide leadership and the kind of scoring ability that he did for Siena in the MAAC? And how about new big man Luke Wilson, who was a premium defender at Appalachian State? These are all things we'll get to see for the first time on Tuesday.

I think it's fair to say that McNamara has assembled a team that has a lot depth and a lot of very good players. That said, there doesn't appear to be one singularly great player. With everyone kind of similar to each other in potential impact, it's unclear how the minutes will break down.

I will be curious who the first five for McNamara are, and how the playing time overall breaks down.