Gerry McNamara is working to rebuild the Orange both now, and in the future.
We are just four weeks away from the start of the Syracuse Orange men's basketball exhibition season, as SU opens up on Oct. 13 against the UConn Huskies at Mohegan Sun.
We are just seven weeks away from the start of the regular season, which is Nov. 3 when the Orange open up at the JMA Wireless Dome.
However, as exciting as this season should be under new head coach Gerry McNamara, the future also looks exciting as McNamara rebuilds the program.
And according to Joe Tipton of On3, the future could get even brighter soon, as Tipton has predicted that five-star recruit Moussa Kamissoko will join the Orange.
About Kamissoko
A 6-foot-7 forward from New York, Kamissoko currently plays at Long Island Lutheran, which is where current SU guard Kiyan Anthony played his high school ball. Rivals has him listed as the No. 7 player in the Class of 2027.
Given his age, there's certainly a chance that Kamissoko could grow more, taking him from the small forward position to a power forward position in the future.
He was at the U18 Team USA training camp in 2026 as well.
What is the sales pitch for Syracuse?
Well, McNamara can sell the rebirth of a program to Kamissoko. Not every player is excited by the idea of joining a program that hasn't made the NCAA Tournament in five years, but some are excited by getting in on the ground floor.
Kamissoko could be a big part of trying to rebuild the Orange into a national brand, and if they don't make the NCAA Tournament this year and extend the drought to six years, he'll have a chance to be the one at the forefront of that revival.
Furthermore, it's unclear if Anthony will stay at Syracuse beyond this year or enter the NBA Draft, but if he does stay with the Orange, then he'll have a chance to play with a high school teammate and friend. That provides comfort and familiarity that some people really value.
And in today's modern world, NIL money goes a long way as well. Just saying.
Also in the news for the Orange
Syracuse officially announced its 2027 matchup with Rutgers on Monday. The two programs, who are former Big East rivals, will play on Feb. 6 at the Barclays Center. What's interesting is that that matchup takes place right in the middle of the ACC season.
Rutgers is coming off a season in which it finished under .500, same as Syracuse.
