Story by
Syracuse Men's Basketball: Orange Take on CCSU, Need to Know
- Story by
- Syracuse Men's Basketball: Orange Take on CCSU, Need to Know
(Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)
The 2026-27 Syracuse Orange men's basketball team started its season on Monday night with a 74-58 win over New Haven . Just three days later, the Orange are back in action inside the JMA Wireless Dome, hosting the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET. Here's what you need to know before Thursday night's game.
McNamara not thrilled with team's game one performance
Despite the victory against the Chargers, new SU head coach Gerry McNamara admitted he was angry during postgame media conversations. McNamara noted the improvements his team needed to make both offensively and defensively going forward, specifically mentioning ill-advised shots before halftime.
Advertisement
The high energy and intensity of McNamara's demeanor, even after a victory, displayed another example of the former Orange player's competitive nature and desire to win. McNamara is likely to have a similar response even if the Orange win by a large margin on Thursday night.
Can Ryan Moesch overcome a tough game one?
McNamara said this in regards to the freshman guard's game one performance:
"I think Ryan (Moesch) played terrible."
Moesch posted five assists and two steals along with zero points and an 0-for-8 shooting performance from the field.
While Garwey Dual and Kiyan Anthony also saw time at the guard position, it seems too early in the season to see Moesch's minutes reduced. An improved offensive output and 17-20 minutes of game action would serve as a solid outing for the young ballhandler.
Advertisement
Scouting the Blue Devils and history of the series
Thursday's meeting will be the second all-time meeting between the two schools. The only other contest took place on New Year's Eve 2012 in Syracuse when the Orange defeated the Blue Devils 96-62.
Central Connecticut State, like the Orange's first opponent of the season New Haven, is a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). Last season, the Blue Devils finished 18-12 and 12-6 in league play. CCSU lost its season-opening game on Monday against the Temple Owls 68-56. Ashton Reynolds led the scoring for the Blue Devils with 17 points.
What will the crowd look like?
The home opener drew more than 20,000 as fans filed in to watch the debut of McNamara as the team's head coach. The crowd was the largest opening-night one in a decade for Syracuse.
Advertisement
Before 2020, Syracuse was a consistent leader in attendance numbers for college basketball programs. While attendance has fallen during the Orange's recent lack of success, the JMA Wireless Dome's ability to host 30,000-plus fans for games still gives Syracuse an advantage to draw high numbers. The crowd is likely to be much closer to 10,000-15,000 fans than Monday's 20,000.
Where can you follow Thursday's action
ACC Network EXTRA will have the television coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET. On the audio side, fans can listen across multiple affiliates in New York State. In the Central New York area, the game will be broadcast on the radio side on TK99/105 (99.5/100.5 FM) and WAER (88.3) and through Cuse.com.
Advertisement
Following the matchup against the Blue Devils, the Orange will not have a home game again until Nov. 18 when they Cornell at 8:00 p.m. ET.
SyracuseRoundTable will on site for live coverage Remember to join the Syracuse community to take in the action with fellow Orange fans. Plus, following the game, SyracuseRoundtable will be offering insight, takeaways from the contest and more
