If Syracuse basketball can make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021, freshman forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., will likely be a key reason why.
His new head coach, Gerry McNamara, dished earlier this week on the Orange's 2026-27 roster, which he and his assistants are not quite done constructing. Still, the bulk of SU's line-up for the upcoming campaign is complete, and McNamara told Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports this past Tuesday in a podcast interview that the 6-foot-9, 195-pound White will be a critical cog to Syracuse basketball's success (hopefully) in 2026-27.
McNamara, when briefly discussing the current 13-member roster, touched on White, saying that where the rising sophomore "can take his game" will loom large as a "big factor" in determining what ceiling Syracuse basketball can reach in McNamara's first go-round as SU's head coach.
Now, in McNamara's interview with Rothstein, McNamara said that he wants the Orange to be competitive right away. He wants to win the Atlantic Coast Conference, get into the Big Dance, and win that, too, although he acknowledges there are steps in the process to achieve all his goals.
Still, I'll speak for all 'Cuse fans here that, in 2026-27, White should go full beast mode and help guide Syracuse basketball to its second national championship. I'm good with that occurring in year one of the GMac tenure.
White, a four-star, top-30 national prospect in the 2025 class, as a freshman averaged 15.1 minutes, 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while making 54.7 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from downtown and 51.3 percent from the charity stripe.
Yes, he needs to get stronger. Yes, he needs to improve his free-throw shooting. Yes, he needs to expand his offensive game. But the talent and promise are there. White is ultra-athletic, runs the court well, plays above the rim, gets after it defensively, rebounds at a solid clip, never takes a play off, is a natural-born leader, a super-high-energy guy, gritty and tough, and a winner.
Did I leave anything out?
All kidding aside, I've opined more than once that White will perfectly fit into McNamara's playing system and also into the program culture that the new Orange head coach is building.
Gerry McNamara gives a little glimpse into the rest of the Syracuse basketball 2026-27 roster.
In his chat with Rothstein, McNamara touched on his team. To refresh your memory, here's the roster to date:
•Ryan Moesch, a 2026 four-star point guard from Central New York
•Mark Morano Mahmutovic, a 2026 four-star wing from Slovenia
•Abdramane Siby, a 2026 center from Mali
•Freshman guard Kiyan Anthony
•Freshman forward Sadiq White Jr.
•Freshman wing Calvin Russell III
•Sophomore guard Noah Lobdell
•Sophomore guard Aiden Tobiason, a four-star transfer from Temple
•Junior guard Garwey Dual, a four-star transfer from McNeese State
•Sophomore guard Gavin Doty, a four-star transfer from Siena
•Junior power forward/center Tasman Goodrick, a three-star transfer from Siena
•Redshirt sophomore center Luke Wilson, a four-star transfer from Appalachian State
•Freshman forward Francis Folefac, a three-star transfer from Siena
SU has two open slots left, and McNamara says he's not done adding players. He likes his roster, the positional versatility, the two-way players, guys in the back-court who can suit up at, and defend, multiple positions, the length and athleticism, the complementary skill-sets at power forward and center, and the "heady" point guards who play defense and have great decision-making.
McNamara noted the talent of Tobiason, SU being able to retain Anthony and White, and that Goodrick was having a solid 2025-26 season at Siena before he suffered a knee injury. In nine games this past stanza, he averaged 23.3 minutes, 9.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per encounter.
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