The shooting guard position was arguably the crux of the Syracuse Orange basketball team’s problems during the 2025-26 season. Senior J.J. Starling saw his productivity plummet from the previous season. He was particularly bad down the stretch, scoring two points or less in his last four games of the season, leaving the Orange scrambling for answers in the backcourt.
The good news is that new head coach Gerry McNamara comes in with a blank slate as he tries to revive the program. Finding consistent production at the shooting guard position will be key to success during the 2026-27 season. McNamara knows as well as anyone how good outside shooting can lift up a team. Will Syracuse get that next season? Let’s take an early look at what the depth chart looks like at shooting guard.
Starter: Aiden Tobiason
The hope is that Tobiason can step into the starting lineup and immediately be a difference-maker. The Temple transfer is hailed as a three-level scorer who averaged 15.3 points per game as a sophomore with the Owls last season. While he’s not known as an elite outside shooter, Tobiason did make 33.8% of his perimeter shots last season after shooting 41.2% from outside as a freshman. He also excels at finishing around the rim, while also shooting 80% at the free-throw line last season.
Converting at the charity stripe was a big problem for Starling and the rest of the Orange last season, so Tobiason should help in that area. It’s worth mentioning that Tobiason went through the NBA pre-draft process but will play his junior year at Syracuse. He has NBA potential, and Syracuse will need him to play like a future NBA player next season.
Backup: Kiyan Anthony
For the second straight season, Anthony figures to be the main backup at the two-guard spot. Despite showing flashes of his full potential, the Syracuse legacy had an up-and-down freshman campaign, averaging just eight points per game. It didn’t help that Anthony shot just 25.4% from the perimeter and 62.8% from the free-throw line, in addition to being a defensive liability at times. Nevertheless, he had his share of big moments and has the potential to be a three-level scorer.
“Let’s go get back in the lab, and we’re gonna come back and answer all of the questions that everybody had.”
— Ashley Wenskoski (@AshleyWenskTV) May 27, 2026
“To me, it wasn’t a failure year for him, it was something any 18 year old kid is gonna go through in college.”
Carmelo Anthony on Kiyan 🍊🏀: pic.twitter.com/E1aGN4T6lJ
While Anthony isn’t likely to push Tobiason out of the starting spot, if he can take a big step forward, those two could spend plenty of time on the court together, with Tobiason sliding over to small forward. In fact, that could be one of Syracuse’s better offensive lineups if Anthony starts to fulfill his potential as a sophomore.
Third String: Gavin Doty
After following McNamara from Siena, Doty is likely to be the starter at small forward. But he’s also going to be an option at shooting guard. Granted, Tobiason is likely to log heavy minutes, with Anthony more than capable of deputizing at that position. But Doty is a big guard who’s comfortable handling the ball, so he could fill in at the two-guard position if McNamara wants to go with a bigger lineup. Such a lineup would likely feature either Mark Morano Mahmutovic or Francis Folefac at small forward, giving Syracuse excellent positional size everywhere but point guard.
Emergency Option: Garwey Dual
Given the depth Syracuse has on the wing with Tobiason, Anthony, Doty and Mahmutovic, it’s unlikely that Dual will see much action at shooting guard. The McNeese State transfer figures to be the Orange’s primary point guard. On the other hand, he’s a bigger guard at 6’5’’, so playing some minutes off the ball isn’t out of the question. If freshman point guard Ryan Moesch proves he can handle the point, McNamara might find a way to play him and Dual together at times.
Add us as a preferred source on Google