Class of 2026 SG Mark Morano Mahmutovič (Slovenia) COMMITTED TO SYRACUSE (4/6/26)

[OttoinGrotto]

Does it? Sincerely asking.

If we have a guy that is 6'5" and is a defensive monster and has a strong core, long arms, quick laterally, he can guard 6'9" guys. If we have a slow 6'9" guy, he isn't going to be put on the other team's dynamic player if they both play what we'd call the 3. We'll hide him where we can.

Rebounding will depend on how we're playing defense as much as a natural rebounder.

Scottie Barnes guarded Jokic really well as a matter of strategy by Toronto. Luka gets put on the weakest guys regardless of position all the time. Using NBAers as examples, but I'm just not that worried now that we should have competent coaching, both overall strategy-wise and in-game adjustments.

I would guess we'll actually see pre-switching on D prior to the action and what not if needed if we have soft spots on the defensive end. I think there is a whole world out there that we were just, frankly, incapable of because of our coaching staff and our guys basically punting on the second half of the season.

Just my 0.02. And, to be clear, give me the best guys on the wing / off ball we can get. GMac will figure out what to do with too much talent.

Uhm, like... yeah man.

We don't know what the players are that we have tho.

 

[JrodCuse]

 

[bevosu]

Who am I to question the immortal Fats Belvedere?

Nickname suggestion- 3M.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing

EDIT- Didn't have time to read the whole thread, I should have assumed 3M has been previously suggested by this elite fan base. My bad.

 

[orangefog]

Nickname suggestion- 3M.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing

 

[cuseincincy]

Not if we get players like we just signed. Kiyan had better take foul shots and run the court from now until next season, get in the weight room, learn a better handle and shoot 300 3's a day if he wants to play.

Agreed. The Kiyan we saw this season was a backup with backup skills. However, I saw a lot that I liked about Kiyan's game. He plays in control, decent ball handler and his jump shot looks very good. His form is good enough he should be able to get his 3FG% near or above 40%. Kiyan has to commit to defense and getting stronger. Until Kiyan does all of that he is likely a bench player.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Not sure how that kid's team ever wins. He is literally the only guy who makes any shots. And he never misses. What a find!!!!

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Agreed. The Kiyan we saw this season was a backup with backup skills. However, I saw a lot that I liked about Kiyan's game. He plays in control, decent ball handler and his jump shot looks very good. His form is good enough he should be able to get his 3FG% near or above 40%. Kiyan has to commit to defense and getting stronger. Until Kiyan does all of that he is likely a bench player.

Unless his father is ...

 

[rhcuse]

The gauntlet has been thrown, Adam W.
Will we see the First Lady at the scorer’s table next season?

 

[phsyra]

Heavens to Betsey...a skilled 6'7 shooter with proper form?

I never doubted this Gerry hire for a second! LFG

 

[anglerman]

This kid is levels above where Anthony is right now.

I think this guy is 3 and not a 2

 

[Banion]

 

[nocohalo]

Ethical European recruitment which is nice. He's not 42 years old like the player at UVA.

 

[ManleyRocks]

Interesting films….reminds me of Leo Rautins…high basketball IQ. Seems to know where to be, can shoot at an elite level, great body control, lots of hesitation moves…athletic enough. If we can keep him a couple of years and add some mass to him and more experience and other great team members, he could be special. GREAT first pick-up!

 

[TexanMark]

Guys, cmon. He’s going to be 3M. And there’s a natural sponsorship.

That's what I thought of too...easier to say too than Triple M

Or we could go old school, Joel Mareiniss style, and call him the Slovenian Slasher

BTW for the younger fans, anyone 50+ in CNY grew up to this guy.

https://www.syracuse.com/poliquin/2016/03/joel_mareiniss_who_carved_out_a_46-year_sports_media_career_in_syracuse_radio_an.html

 

[Niastri]

Y'all aughta watch the videos then.

His 1-man fast break with the fake pass into Euro-step finish was absurd.
Buddy couldn't even dream of making any part of that play.

Buddy could have gotten the steal at the beginning...

Once the dribbling started, nah.

 

[Niastri]

Not fair to Autry. Autry was labeled as a lame duck coach at the beginning of the year. No recruit was coming here to play when the current coach was not going be there.

I completely agree. Blame Autry for what he could control and didn't, not the things he absolutely couldn't.

We heard from good sources that top recruits were literally saying "we will see how the season starts..." during conversations with us last fall. If we beat Houston and Kansas, Syracuse was an instant top20 team, and the slow fade into oblivion doesn't happen, with everybody fighting hard through the end of the season and we are in a radically different position right now. If that happened, we probably have a top recruiting class coming in the fall, possibly with multiple top25 recruits. I think there was a lot of smoke about certain top recruits, and if we had won in Vegas, those guys don't eliminate us.

But they lost, the team fell apart, it was obvious for at least three months Red was going to be fired. Nobody without unlimited signing bonuses could recruit in that situation.

Red wasn't a good head coach for us, but blaming him for failing to recruit the 2026 class is unfair.

 

[Niastri]

I don’t see how he would be denied one. The precedent for this has already been set in the Diego Pavia case which was basically the same scenario. It seems Kingz would have a great avenue for legal action and have it overturned if his waiver is denied due this previous ruling.

I fear Kingz will have his waiver denied, Syracuse will say "Sorry buddy" and give him a lollipop. Then he will sue the NCAA himself and win. Then he will transfer somewhere and score 20ppg.

Or maybe we have a new leadership group that will fight when the NCAA screws us over instead of just nodding and accepting? <shrug>

 

[TexanMark]

Literally could not agree more.

Everyone uses the high pick and roll to get into their offense... if you don't have someone that can be aggressive coming off that screen... it's basically worthless (at last for a team looking to be competing at a top 25 level or make noise in the tourney).

And without being in zone 100%, you can get by with some smaller guys in terms of height, if they have a strong core/base and/or long arms and can body guys and make them work, it's ok.

I heard we are in with a fellow Slovenian named Jona Flynnovic at PG.

Boy we could use a prime Flynn and Rutgers on the schedule.

 

[djorange1989]

I heard we are in with a fellow Slovenian named Jona Flynnovic at PG.

Boy we could use a prime Flynn and Rutgers on the schedule.

I didn’t hear about him but I did hear about Shermanov Douglavich. Great with alley oops

 

[orangezen]

This player and Fennell would give Gerry 2 players with size at 6-7, and 6-6 who can shoot the 3.

So much for that idea