Syracuse basketball head coach Gerry McNamara and his staff have beefed up their back-court in recent days via the transfer portal, but the Orange needs a starting center to replace William Kyle III, who was terrific this past season.
The 'Cuse 2026-27 roster will include freshman forward Sadiq White Jr. as well as transfer Tasman Goodrick, a junior power forward/center from Siena. White is likely to start for SU next season at power forward (or maybe at the three?), while I assume that Goodrick will be a reserve big man.
Some analysts have said that the transfer market for centers isn't as robust this offseason as the guard position groups. Sure, there are some elite transfer centers out there, and they are commanding millions of dollars in total financial compensation for the 2026-27 campaign.
The @TheFieldOf68 has polled 10-plus high-major head coaches, assistants and GM's for the following prices that elite (Top 25 guys) portal players will likely command: pic.twitter.com/hzs1Ie3XY9
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 8, 2026
Is it realistic to think that the 'Cuse staff can land a top-flight center out of the transfer portal, which opened on April 7 and runs through April 21? Opinions vary on whether SU's roster budget will be sufficient in that regard. The Orange could also go the international route.
Syracuse basketball remains on the hunt for a starting center.
I read a lot of insightful comments from fellow Orange fans on social media and in chat rooms. Some fans are noting that, perhaps, SU's center position could comprise a platoon of guys at that spot, rather than one starting center who plays the majority of minutes.
And it's entirely feasible that such a platoon wouldn't necessarily entail a ton of scoring for Syracuse basketball in 2026-27. But McNamara likely would focus his centers, in that scenario, on rebounding with precision and getting after it defensively. Kind of like what Kyle did this past term, although the back-up centers for him were less than ideal.
Various reports since the portal opened have linked the 'Cuse to transfer big men, and obviously, Goodrick has committed to Syracuse basketball. But as of yet, at least in the public domain, the buzz surrouding SU's roster construction has centered (no pun intended) on guards.
Understandably (somewhat), some Orange fans are slightly panicking that the team hasn't yet revealed its starting center. I think it's too early to panic, but I do get the sentiment.
For purposes of this discussion, if you take out freshman wing Calvin Russell III and sophomore guard Noah Lobdell, here's the Syracuse basketball roster to date, based on position groups:
•Four guards (although no true point guard)
•One wing
•One forward
•One power forward/center
Given that make-up so far, a starting center is definitely priority number one for the 'Cuse, probably followed by a point guard and then a 3-point specialist on the wing.
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