Even though it's August, amid all the legal battles taking place around the country, some college basketball teams are still filling out their rosters for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign. Case in point, last week, Syracuse basketball coaches landed a commitment from transfer forward Amarri Monroe, although it remains to be seen if he, ultimately, will be eligible to play this season.
Now, with rosters still being finalized, I don't want to make any sort of grand proclamations about the 'Cuse, but one thing I feel comfortable saying is that Syracuse basketball's 2026-27 roster could have as much length as just about any other Division I program around the country.
Might Gerry McNamara, the team's first-year head coach, sprinkle in some 2-3 zone defense, given the Orange's collective length? Perhaps, but don't count on that being the team's primary defensive scheme, as McNamara noted in the spring.
Take a look at the height of every player on the Syracuse basketball roster.
Kiyan Anthony
6-foot-5, 198-pound guard/wing (sophomore)
Ethan Butler
6-foot-4, 210-pound guard (freshman)
Gavin Doty
6-foot-5, 200-pound guard/wing (junior)
Garwey Dual
6-foot-5, 200-pound guard (senior)
Francis Folefac
6-foot-7, 245-pound forward (sophomore)
Tasman Goodrick
6-foot-10, 240-pound forward (senior)
Noah Lobdell
6-foot, 150-pound guard (junior)
Iker Martinez
7-foot, 225-pound center (freshman)
Ryan Moesch
6-foot, 180-pound point guard (freshman)
Amarri Monroe
6-foot-7, 230-pound forward (graduate student)
Mark Morano
6-foot-6, 205-pound wing/forward (freshman)
Calvin Russell III
6-foot-5, 190-pound guard/wing (sophomore)
Abdramane Siby
7-foot, 220-pound center (freshman)
Aiden Tobiason
6-foot-6, 210-pound guard/wing (junior)
Sadiq White Jr.
6-foot-8, 207-pound forward (sophomore)
Luke Wilson
6-foot-10, 255-pound center (junior)
Of these 16 players, two are 6 feet, and one is 6-foot-4. Everyone else is at least 6-foot-5. That's pretty remarkable. What does that mean?
Well, lots of height and length, hopefully, will translate into a team that plays great defense, rebounds well, and gets a lot of deflections and steals that lead to easy buckets in transition. McNamara's players will be gritty and tough. They won't take plays off.
We'll have to see how the Orange fares with its half-court offense, its 3-point and free-throw shooting, and its ball handling, among other things. Being a collectively tall team doesn't guarantee a successful 2026-27 season for McNamara and his program, but the roster's overall length can be a significant competitive advantage if correctly utilized.
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