Western New York native Bryan Hodgson and Syracuse basketball legend Gerry McNamara will duke it out on the court this December in a non-conference duel featuring former Big East Conference rivals.
On the recruiting trail, Hodgson and McNamara are also going toe to toe for several five-star prospects in the 2027 class. Fun.
Hodgson was a rumored candidate this past spring to potentially take over the Orange after SU parted ways with Adrian Autry, but Hodgson elected to move from South Florida to become the head coach at Providence.
McNamara, meanwhile, was hired last March to turn around his alma mater, the 'Cuse, after doing a terrific job guiding Siena for two seasons. The Friars and Syracuse basketball will square off on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the TD Garden in Boston.
5⭐️’s King Gibson and Moussa Kamissoko have both scheduled official visits to Providence, per source:
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) September 6, 2026
Gibson: Sept. 11-12
Kamissoko: Oct. 23-25https://t.co/eDimJ7ACeP pic.twitter.com/KFwFVyCqFp
As Inside the Loud House has reported, the Orange's three priority recruits in the 2027 class, at least for now, are five-star wing/small forward Moussa Kamissoko, five-star point guard Nasir Anderson and five-star wing/forward Ahmed Nur, who officially visited SU late last month.
Hodgson is making an aggressive push for both the 6-foot-8, 180-pound Kamissoko and the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Anderson. On Sunday, Joe Tipton of On3/Rivals reported via X that Kamissoko has scheduled an official visit to Providence from October 23 to October 25 after taking an unofficial visit to the Friars in late August.
Syracuse basketball is battling Providence, and others, for 2027 recruiting targets.
Kamissoko, who recently transferred to the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, for his senior year, went on an official visit to the Orange from September 3 to September 4. Inside the Loud House will look to gather more intel on that trip to Central New York soon.
Moussa Kamissoko (@Moussak11_) of @SPIREHoops & @PSACardinals, a 2027 5-star wing/forward from the Bronx, N.Y., is a Syracuse basketball priority recruit in the high school senior class. Here is the No. 8 overall prospect, per Rivals, on his official visit to 'Cuse. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🍊🔽 pic.twitter.com/KktA7R4XLw
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) September 5, 2026
Besides the 'Cuse, Kamissoko, who is No. 8 nationally in the high school senior cycle per Rivals, has officially visited Florida State, and he has upcoming official visits locked in to Oklahoma State, BYU, Illinois, UConn, Louisville, Baylor and the aforementioned Providence.
Tipton also reported that 2027 five-star combo guard King Gibson of Spire will take an official visit to the Friars from September 11 to September 12. Gibson recently included the 'Cuse in his top 10; however, Syracuse basketball coaches are not prioritizing him, Inside the Loud House has reported.
Similar to Gibson, Anderson, out of Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., recently dropped his own top 10, which includes Syracuse basketball, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Providence, Tennessee, UConn and Virginia.
Anderson was expected to officially visit the Friars this weekend and has numerous other official visits set, including one to the Orange later this month, Inside the Loud House has reported. To date, Syracuse basketball has one 2027 verbal commitment from Albany, N.Y., native Jack Donohue, a three-star wing out of The Newman School in Boston.
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