The transfer-portal frenzy is in full swing, and Syracuse lost most of what held last season’s team together.
A 15-17 record already had things feeling unstable. Then, came the coaching changes. Now, the roster looks almost entirely different.
New head coach Gerry McNamara is now rebuilding on the fly, and it shows.
Syracuse 2026 Transfer Portal Tracker
Players Leaving in the Transfer Portal
- Naithan George | Committed to Pittsburgh
- Luke Fennell | Committed to St. Mary’s
- Tyler Betsey | Committed to BYU
- Donnie Freeman
- Aaron Womack (redshirt)
- Akir Souare
- Tiefing Diawara
Freeman averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while George averaged 10.9 points and 5.4 assists per game. Meanwhile, Betsey averaged 6.7 points while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range.
With these players leaving, the backcourt is more or less depleted. George was running the offense, and while Fennell and Womack didn’t play a ton but were still depth pieces.
However, Freeman is the departure that changes everything. He could take over games and defenses always had to account for him.
Betsey was an important piece as well, as a 40.7% 3-point shooter on a team that had a hard time shooting from deep (32.9% overall, 17th in the ACC). Losing him won’t help spacing.
Syracuse Departures
- J.J. Starling (exhausted eligibility)
- William Kyle III (exhausted eligibility)
- Nate Kingz (exhausted eligibility, but seeking waiver)
Kyle is the biggest loss of this bunch. He started all 32 games and played 28.2 minutes a night, averaging 8.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks (which ranked top 10 nationally).
Kingz’s future is up in the air. After he averaged 12.2 points per game, he is seeking a waiver to continue playing despite exhausting his eligibility. He has entered the transfer portal, but has said that he’s potentially open to returning to Syracuse if his eligibility is granted.
Starling’s eligibility is up as well, and his season ended in abrupt fashion (scoring 2 or fewer points in his last four games).
Returning Players
- Kiyan Anthony
- Sadiq White Jr.
- Calvin Russell III (injured)
- Noah Lobdell
Anthony had a good start with three-straight 15+ point games, but it faded once Starling came back. He ultimately averaged 8 points and the steadiness wasn’t there yet. Nevertheless, the potential is there and he seems to be the main guy right now.
White is a little more settled, as defense is already his thing. He averaged 6.1 points on 54.7% shooting from the field, which shows there is something to build on offensively.
Russell is a two-sport star who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles injury, so it remains to be seen when he’ll be ready to play. Lobdell has hardly played over his first two seasons with the team, appearing in mop-up duty across six games.
Incoming Players
- Gavin Doty (Siena)
- Aiden Tobiason (Temple)
- Garwey Dual (McNeese State)
- Tasman Goodrick (Siena)
- Ryan Moesch (36.3 ppg in HS, Chittenango)
- Mark Morano Mahmutovic
With these incoming athletes, things are starting to look just a teensy bit more hopeful.
Doty is the most exciting of the bunch, as he averaged 18 points per game while leading Siena to the NCAA Tournament. He scored 21 points against Duke in the first round and nearly helped Siena pull off the upset.
Tobiason averaged 15.3 points on efficient shooting (48 FG%) as a sophomore after barely playing as a freshman.
Dual is a defensive specialist, but this will be his fourth team in four years, which complicates his projection.
Goodrick is also coming over from Siena, and he’s coming off a season in which he averaged 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Moesch is a four-star point guard who averaged 36.3 points per game in high school, while Mahmutovic is a Slovenian 3-point shooter who can help space the floor.
