Gerry McNamara can not wait to coach his first Syracuse game at his alma mater next week

After arriving in Charlotte Tuesday evening, the Syracuse basketball contingent representing the Orange at ACC Tipoff met with the media Wednesday afternoon.

Head coach Gerry McNamara and players Aiden Tobiason and Gavin Doty spent time with the league's media partners, toured radio row, played a few video games for relaxation, and appeared on the press conference stage and for follow-up one-on-one interviews.

After practicing since September 21, the Orange will face Connecticut in their exhibition opener next Tuesday night (7:00 p.m. ET / UCONN Sports+) at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

The Syracuse roster has grown with the apparent eligibility of transfer forward Amari Monroe

Monroe's status, as of this week at least, is a go to join the program after Tuesday's ruling by a Onondaga County State Supreme Court justice granting the Quinnipiac transfer grad student a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, allowing a fifth year of eligibility to players from the Class of 2022.

McNamara said Tuesday that he was obviously thrilled by the positive legal development, and that the Orange roster is markedly better with a player of Monroe's pedigree as a former MAAC player of the year.

"He helps in a lot of ways," McNamara said Wednesday about the 6'7" 230 lbs. power forward. "He is one of the best defenders over the last few years that I have been around. He's fast, he can rebound, is a two-time player of the year, all-defensive player."

"Now he can kind of fit in with us, he doesn't have to carry the team, " McNamara added. "Right away, he makes us physically imposing, and he really rebounds the basketball on the defensive side."

Upstate native Doty can not wait to be part of the Orange turnaround

There is no player perhaps other than Doty that can truly understand his SU head coach from both a mentor and coaching persepective.

Growing up in Fulton, Doty really can not remember McNamara's playing days between 2002-2006, but he well knows his work as an assistant on Jim Boeheim's staff and his recruitment by GMac to Siena coming out of Fulton High School.

With several flush financial offers once he announced his intention to leave the Saints program with McNamara's departure, Doty said it was a no-brainer to follow his coach back home, and his message to Orange Nation is the program will be better for it.

"If you show up with respect and maturity as he always preaches and work hard at practice, the coaches are going to coach you," Doty said. "My two years at Siena, I didn't see a player not get better, so it goes to show with the growth and what the coaches can really do for you."

Turning around an Orange program with a five year NCAA Tournament gap

It was a question McNamara addressed on multiple occasions from multiple media Wednesday. How does he formulate the plan to turn a proud, historically successful program.

The topic has been on his moind sincehe interviewed for the job in March, and has continued non-stop through the summer and preseason practice.

"A lot of factors go into how to turn it around fast," McNamara preached Wednesday asked about the long NCAA drought. "You can get it right a lot of ways. Someone coming with you that is a little better and suddenly the pieces jell together. We're never going to have the most money, but we are always going to be a product, with such incredible history, that will always be worth watching."

"I don't have a timeline," GMac added, "but my demand is to win right away."

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