Siena standout guard Gavin Doty plans to enter the transfer portal, according to various media reports, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he ends up moving from the Saints to Syracuse basketball.
The Orange, of course, has hired Doty's former head coach at Siena, Gerry McNamara, to be the next head coach of the 'Cuse, replacing Adrian Autry. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Doty is a sophomore at Siena and hails from Fulton, N.Y., which is about 30 miles from Syracuse.
NEWS: Siena sophomore Gavin Doty is entering the transfer portal, he told @LeagueRDY.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) March 25, 2026
The 6-5 guard out of Fulton, New York spent two seasons at Siena and started all 35 games for the Saints this season.
He averaged 18.0PPG, 6.9RPG, 2.2APG and 1.3SPG in 2025-26. pic.twitter.com/BKYFEYAVoI
Doty recently told reporters, "I plan on playing for G-Mac through my whole career." We'll have to see how this all shakes out, but Doty ultimately transferring to the Orange sounds like a distinct possibility.
Siena sophomore guard Gavin Doty said after the Duke loss last week that "I plan on playing for G-Mac through my whole career." That, and given Doty is from the Syracuse area, not exactly a shock if Doty follows Gerry McNamara to the Orange.
— Mark Singelais (@MarkSingelais) March 24, 2026
The transfer portal will be open from April 7 to April 21, although when a head coaching change occurs at a school, a 15-day transfer portal window will also open five days after the new head coach at that particular program is hired or announced in the public domain.
Siena guard Gavin Doty could end up transferring to Syracuse basketball.
In the 2025-26 season for the Saints, a group that went 23-12 overall and won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference ("MAAC") Tournament crown, Doty averaged 36.8 minutes, 18.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game while connecting on 45.8 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from beyond the arc and 85.8 percent from the free-throw line.
Last week, in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, No. 16 seed Siena nearly stunned No. 1 seed Duke in the East Region. The Saints ultimately fell, 71-65. Doty struggled with his shooting, but he still finished with 21 points against the Big Dance's No. 1 overall seed.
Another major milestone for Gavin Doty@DotyGavin now holds the record for the most points scored by a #SienaSaints player through their first two seasons donning the Green and Gold at 9⃣9⃣1⃣
— Siena Basketball (@SienaMBB) March 20, 2026
He surpasses legendary fellow #⃣4⃣ Marc Brown who scored 979 between 1987-89#MarchOn pic.twitter.com/hUjt7Nk6uk
Toward the beginning of March, Doty was named a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC first team. He became the first Siena player to land on the All-MAAC first squad dating back to 2021.
In the 2025-26 campaign, when Syracuse basketball went 15-17 overall, the Orange had 13 main rotational players. At least three guys have exhausted their collegiate eligibility. We'll have to wait and see what existing players may elect to return in 2026-27, as McNamara gets to work constructing his roster for next season.