Ordinally, Syracuse men's basketball being lumped together with the likes of Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky and Texas Tech would seem to be a good thing, as those are some heavyweight programs in the sport.
Not this time, my friends.
Earlier this week, national analyst Jeff Goodman, the co-founder of The Field of 68, dropped his list of this offseason's winners and losers amid college basketball teams constructing their rosters for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
Here are @GoodmanHoops’ OFFSEASON WINNERS & LOSERS 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 5, 2026
Which team do YOU think had the BEST spring?
WATCH ⬇️https://t.co/cyEcshOWlA pic.twitter.com/h1NummmSKz
Goodman, who has ruffled the collective feathers of some Syracuse basketball fans on more than one occasion of late, discussed this topic in a recent podcast episode with Rob Dauster, who is also a co-founder of The Field of 68.
When it comes to his losers this offseason, Goodman included the Orange, which has a new head coach in Gerry McNamara. Candidly, Goodman didn't seem all that confident in what he was saying about SU, so to me, him putting the 'Cuse on this list was kind of odd.
Syracuse basketball still has scholarships open for 2026-27.
For reference, here is the Orange's roster at this juncture for the upcoming stanza:
•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 four-star transfer from Siena
Goodman said on the pod that he was "a little bit underwhelmed" with SU's offseason moves, but then he quickly added, "but maybe not, just judging by the money." Goodman mentioned Dual, and it doesn't sound like the national analyst is all that impressed with Dual likely being the Orange's starting point guard next season.
My issue with Goodman is that I don't think he's done his homework. For one, McNamara has made it clear that he's building a roster to fit his culture and his system. He wants to win games at all costs, and it's not about making splashy acquisitions or pleasing fans on social media.
Additionally, both among college transfers and prep commits, the 'Cuse has numerous four-star prospects coming aboard in 2026-27. When I wrote this article on Saturday, in team transfer rankings from On3, Syracuse basketball is No. 14 around the country.
That doesn't seem like a loser offseason to me. Plus, given that SU has a new head coach and staff, the team has produced two straight losing seasons, and the Orange hasn't made it to the annual NCAA Tournament since 2021, I'm not sure exactly what Goodman was expecting Syracuse basketball coaches to do this offseason.
Dauster pushed back some. He said that he thinks it was a "little harsh" to include SU on this list, which Goodman even acknowledged himself. Dauster says that hiring McNamara was probably the right move to, hopefully, turn the 'Cuse program around.
"And if it's not, then you’ve got bigger problems at Syracuse than just who the basketball coach is," Dauster said.
That's fair.
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