Syracuse men’s basketball has not received much national recognition over the last few years, and for good reason. The Orange haven’t finished better than 69th in KenPom over the last five seasons, with two seasons outside the top 100 for the first time in the history of the statistic. But at least one respected national hoops outlet believes that those days are behind the program.
As part of the 3 Man Weave Top 50 Countdown on Basket Under Review, the Weavers ranked Syracuse 47th, which would put the Orange in line for an NCAA Tournament bid.
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Of the three hosts, Jim Root ranked the Orange the highest in his individual ranking, sliding in at No. 40. Matt Cox ranked Syracuse at No. 47, and Ky McKeon was the low man at No. 57. Root wrote the article for Basket Under Review, previewing the team.
Avid listeners of the podcast will not be surprised by his first “reason for optimism” being that “Red Autry’s tyrannical grip on Syracuse basketball has ended.” All three podcasters agreed last offseason that Autry was the ACC’ worst head coach.
Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Adrian Autry reacts during the during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images
Root lauded McNamara for coming in with a clear plan to add positional size and length, and it’s why he’s high on Syracuse’s defense. The additions of Garwey Dual, Gavin Doty, and Aiden Tobiason, three guards that recorded steal rates of 2% or higher last season, provide the defensive backbone, while there’s optimism for the frontcourt defense as well with Luke Wilson, Sadiq White, and Abdramane Siby.
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The analyst agreed with most Syracuse fans that the causes for concern stem from spacing and scoring, along with a true point guard.
“The Orange’s stacking of defensive assets may come at the expense of their ability to score,” Root wrote.
No Syracuse players made the 3 Man Weave Top 100 players list, which came out the previous week on the website.
