Gavin Doty clearly knew where he wanted to play in the 2026-27 college basketball season.
When Gerry McNamara left Siena to return and coach his alma mater Syracuse University, Doty wasted no time hitting the transfer portal and coming along.
G-Mac was happy to have Doty, his most talented player from the Saints.
Still, it was an open question how Doty would translate in a big step up in the college hoops world from Siena to Syracuse.
It may not be a long drive, but they're entirely different basketball universes.
Syracuse's season doesn't begin until Nov. 2 with a low-quality matchup against New Haven, but the Orange have played three exhibition games, which can at least provide some hints.
Syracuse's exhibition slate opened against UConn, so right off the bat it was a huge test for Doty, and he didn't really pass.
Doty played 30 minutes in that game and shot just 2-for-7 from the floor, including 1-for-4 from 3-point range, and didn't get to the foul line. Doty finished with five points, no rebounds, no assists, two fouls and three turnovers.
The next time out was fittingly at Siena. Doty was a lot more active. He played 37 minutes and shot 4-for-15 from the floor, including 3-for-11 from 3-point range. He was 9-of-10 from the line. He scored 20 points with eight rebounds and three turnovers.
Syracuse's final exhibition game was played in Buffalo against Niagara. Doty went 26 minutes, shooting 4-for-9 from the field (2-6 3FG) and 4-for-4 from the line. He finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one turnover.
You'd have expected him to be strong against Siena and Niagara and less so against UConn, so he hasn't yet answered all the questions there will be about him at Syracuse.
The two assists through three games would be the one other notable concern — Doty is going to have the ball a lot for the Orange, so passing ability could be key to the overall flow of the SU offense.
Doty played two seasons at Siena for McNamara and was a star in 2025-26, when the Saints mounted a 16v1 upset bid in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Duke.
In the 2025-26 season, Doty averaged 18.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for the Saints. He shot 45% from the floor and 32% from 3-point range.
Efficiency and playmaking will be the two things that help Doty adjust to the next level. If he struggles in those areas, Doty's impact on Syracuse will be less than the Orange would hope.
McNamara clearly trusts Doty, and so it'll be up to the Fulton-native — less than 30 miles from SU — to deliver on that trust.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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