Gerry McNamara, the former Orange star player and associate head coach of the 'Cuse, is headed to Siena to take the helm of that program.
As GMac looks ahead to running Siena, a school in Loudonville, N.Y., near Albany that resides in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference ("MAAC"), the Orange has to replace its associate head coach, a guy who excels in player development and on the recruiting trail.
Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim, the former long-time 'Cuse head coach, noted in a recent interview that McNamara is a tremendous recruiter who has extensive and strong relationships among high school and AAU coaches.
Syracuse basketball, under first-year head coach Adrian Autry, has two exquisite 2024 commits, while the team is focused on a variety of highly ranked prospects in the 2025 and 2026 cycles.
How will McNamara's departure impact the Orange's recruiting efforts? That remains to be seen. But let's take a look at some of the squad's key targets in these classes.
Gerry McNamara is a great recruiter, and we'll have to see how that could affect Syracuse basketball.
2024 Class (two signees):
•Five-star power forward Donnie Freeman from Washington, D.C.
•Four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore from New York City
Notes: Both commits, who are officially signed with the Orange, have strong relationships with numerous 'Cuse coaches. I don't envision any issues here.
2025 Class:
While Syracuse basketball has offered scholarships to nearly 20 high school juniors, I sense that the Orange is focused on some or all of the recruits listed below:
•Four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony from New York City
•Four-star point guard Nigel James from New York state
•Four-star combo guard Derek Dixon from Washington, D.C.
•Four-star power forward/center Matthew Gilhool from Philadelphia
•Four-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C.
•Four-star point guard Tyler Jackson from Baltimore
•Four-star small forward London Jemison from Connecticut
•Five-star point guard Jerry Easter II from Ohio
•Four-star forward Cam Ward from Maryland
Notes: All of these 2025 targets, except for Easter and Ward, have visited the Orange. According to reports, assistant coach Brenden Straughn is the lead recruiter for Jackson, White, Dixon and Ward. I've read reports suggesting that McNamara may have been the lead 'Cuse recruiter for James, Easter and Gilhool. Anthony has a strong relationship with the entire SU staff. Jemison has mentioned in interviews being in contact with both Autry and McNamara.
2026 Class:
To my knowledge, the Orange to date has offered scholarships to eight players in this cycle, while showing interest in various others.
•Four-star guard Imahri Wooten from New York state
•Five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. from the Washington, D.C., area
•Four-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. from New York City
•Four-star point guard Neiko Mundey from Maryland
•Four-star wing Prince-Alexander Moody from Maryland
•Point guard Anthony Brown from the Washington, D.C., area
•Five-star guard/small forward Alex Constanza from Florida
•Four-star small forward Maximo Adams from California
•Four-star guard Jasiah Jervis from New York City (no formal offer yet but holds SU interest)
Notes: Syracuse basketball assistant Allen Griffin is the lead recruiter for Rippey and Constanza, I've reported in the past. Wooten's lead recruiter is Autry, Wooten's dad has told me. It's unclear to me who the 'Cuse lead recruiter is for Smith, Mundey, Moody, Brown, Adams or Jervis, although besides Adams, all of those prospects come from either the New York City or D.C. markets. Griffin, Autry and Straughn have deep recruiting ties to both of those geographic regions.