Okay, so Syracuse men's basketball won't go dancing in March unless it wins this week's ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C., and that's highly unlikely to happen.
However, former Orange legendary guard Gerry McNamara and his Siena program need just one more victory to punch their ticket to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, which is simply fabulous.
Gerry McNamara has Siena just one win away from its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2010.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 9, 2026
Saints will face Merrimack in the MAAC Tournament title game.
Heck of a turnaround in Year 2.
McNamara, a former 'Cuse assistant coach under SU head coaches Jim Boeheim and then Adrian Autry, is in his second season as the head coach of the Saints, which are a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference ("MAAC").
On Sunday in the MAAC Tournament semifinals, No. 3 seed Siena defeated No. 7 seed Fairfield, 76-61, at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. That moves the Saints (22-11 overall) into the title game, with an automatic berth to this spring's Big Dance on the line.
Gerry McNamara is oh so close to taking Siena to March Madness.
Siena will face No. 1 seed and regular-season champion Merrimack in the MAAC Tournament championship game, which will take place on Tuesday, March 10, beginning at 9 pm and with television coverage on ESPN2.
GMac and his squad will have their hands full, as Merrimack (23-10 overall) swept its regular-season series with Siena. In the 2025-26 regular season, Siena went 20-11 overall and 13-7 in league play, good for a third-place finish in the MAAC standings.
So happy for GMac! https://t.co/0i5Cg2M4Nw
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) March 9, 2026
The Saints are seeking their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years, dating back to 2010. McNamara has done a terrific job turning the program around, and quickly. The season before he headed to Siena, the Saints went 4-28.
In 2024-25, GMac's first campaign at Siena's helm, the team sported a 10-win improvement, going 14-18 overall. Then, in 2025-26, the Saints have 22 triumphs so far. That's mighty impressive.
Earlier this month, three Siena players earned All-MAAC honors. Sophomore guard Gavin Doty is on the All-MAAC first team, senior guard Justice Shoats is on the All-MAAC second team and freshman forward Francis Folefac is on the MAAC's All-Rookie squad.
This is so unbelievably wonderful for GMac and Siena. I'll be rooting for the Saints on Tuesday night in Atlantic City.