And then there was one.
Syracuse basketball, after scoring a commitment from 2026 center Iker Martinez on Tuesday night, has one roster spot remaining for the upcoming season. With last summer's House antitrust settlement, men's Division I college basketball programs can have up to 15 players on their rosters (all of them can receive scholarships).
Here's the Orange's 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
•Iker Martinez, a 2026 center from Mexico
•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
From my perspective, it's fairly clear what kind of player should be targeted by first-year head coach Gerry McNamara and his staff for this final roster spot. Point guard, point guard, point guard!
Syracuse basketball can add one more player to its 2026-27 roster.
As it currently stands, Dual is expected to start at point guard. He's known for his defensive instincts, and Dual takes care of the ball extremely well. However, some SU fans are concerned about Dual being the primary floor general for the team in 2026-27, and I get that sentiment.
Backing him up is Moesch, who is vastly underrated in the 2026 class. Moesch, though, needs to bulk up physically, and it remains to be seen how much run he will get in McNamara's rotation this coming season.
Not to be negative, but if Dual or Moesch suffered an injury, that would leave the Orange extremely thin at point guard. To be fair, guys such as Tobiason and Doty likely could play some minutes at point guard, but that may not be ideal as a long-term strategy.
In this era of "positionless" basketball, guards can play the one, two or three spot. Wings are typically shooting guards and small forwards, while big men entail power forwards and centers. The 'Cuse does have ample guards in its back-court, but the point guard position, specifically, feels like it's lacking a bit of depth.
I could be overthinking it. That being said, I've read a lot of comments from fellow fans on social media and in chat rooms regarding that final roster spot. Candidly, the overwhelming sentiment, at least among fans I interact with, is that SU could use another point guard, or perhaps an additional 3-point specialist out on the wing.
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