Recently, we heard that the Syracuse men’s basketball program has secured a visit with Top 2027 recruit Moussa Kamissoko. The four-star recruit from Long Island Lutheran would be quite a get for new head coach Gerry McNamara as he looks to rebuild the Orange into a national power.
However, one player from the Class of 2027 that won’t be visiting Syracuse is J’Lon Lyons, who decided to cancel his visit and commit to Butler. He was set to visit Syracuse on Sept. 11.
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On3 had Lyons listed as a Top 50 overall recruit in the class, but he elects to cut his recruitment short.
Lyons, a 6-foot-3 guard from Maryland, was named as of the 19 finalists for the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team training camp in May.
He was the Maryland Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2026, averaging 15.5 ppg to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
Nasir Anderson, another top recruit from the Class of 2027, has Syracuse in his final 10 schools. However, we have not heard yet about any official visit dates.
Listed at 6-foot-4, he is ranked No. 9 overall in the SC Next 100 (ESPN) rankings. Anderson, from Georgia, represented Team USA at the 2025 FIBA U16 AmeriCup, helping Team USA win the gold medal. He was named MVP of that tournament, averaging 12.3 ppg and 6.8 assists. The 6.8 assists led the tournament.
Syracuse confirmed what we already knew last week: They will play an exhibition game at Siena on Oct. 18 this season. That game will serve as a reunion contest for McNamara, who coached Siena for the last two years. It will also serve as a reunion for Gavin Doty, Francis Folefac and Tasman Goodrick, who played at Siena as well.
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In addition to the actual game, the Saints will honor the 2025-26 MAAC championship team by raising the banner into the rafters at MVP Arena.
While it hasn’t been confirmed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McNamara address the home crowd during the ceremony.
Of course, everyone will have to put emotions aside and just play basketball, which is what McNamara will try to focus his group on.
The Orange are coming off a 15-17 campaign and haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament in five years. With an expanded tournament field, the hope is that McNamara can turn things around in year one.
