Syracuse Basketball: 3 Takeaways From Gerry McNamara’s Emotional Debut Win

Coaching through immense personal loss, Gerry McNamara guides the Orange to a 74-58 opening-night win marked by Sadiq White Jr.’s double-double and second-half teaching moments.

Nov 2, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange basketball coach Gerry McNamara speaks to the media following the game against the New Haven Chargers at the JMA Wireless Dome. | Tyler Cheung - The Juice Online/On SI

Syracuse defeated New Haven, 74-58, in Gerry McNamara's head coaching debut with the Orange.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Sadiq White Jr. Showing Improvement

Coming into the season opener, sophomore Saidiq White Jr. had faced criticism for his rebounding struggles during exhibition play. Against New Haven, however, he answered those concerns, grabbing 10 of the Orange’s 40 rebounds. White was also a constant lob threat, finishing multiple times above the rim after connecting with long passes from his teammates. 

“Double-double is pretty good to me,” McNamara said when asked about White’s performance. “I’ve encouraged him to be a bit more aggressive slasher, and he gets the backdoor dunk along the baseline so that's a big step in the direction of what he is capable of doing.”

White has continued to struggle from both the free throw and 3-point line, but he has shown he has the potential to become a solid player for the Orange. 

Second Half Struggles

Coming out of the locker room, the Orange looked like a different team. Poor rebounding and bad defensive decisions slowed their momentum. Syracuse was outscoured 41-35 in the second half. 

“We came out with the right intensity, the first half was the first half, second half, we became an undisciplined team and we tried so hard to get away from that,” White said. “We just have to move forward and tighten the screws up and make sure we play a 40 minute complete game.” 

Both White and McNamara emphasized how the team lacked composure coming into the second half, identifying it as an aspect of the team needed to improve upon.

“We kind of shot ourselves in the foot in terms of momentum,” McNamara said. “We didn’t get defensive rebounds at the start of the second half, I think eight of their points came from us not getting defensive rebounds.” 

Overcoming Hardship Off the Court 

Just two days prior to the season opener, McNamara’s father had died at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer. 

“It’s been a tough week for our family, the first person that would be here tonight would be my father,” McNamara said. “There has just been an overwhelming amount of support for us, I think more than anything, it's a testament to the man my father was.” 

However, despite the hardship, McNamara was able to still show up to the game and coach his team to a comfortable win. 

“We have to rally as a team and as a group and be there for the coach,” starting guard Gavin Doty said. “Nobody should have to go through that 48 hours before a new chapter here at Syracuse.” 

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