For Syracuse, this is the kind of week that can reshape the program forever.
In the span of 48 hours, North Carolina fired Hubert Davis and Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara. Buried in the chaos is a unique opportunity to land a recruit that could elevate the program to new heights. Dylan Mingo, the No. 9 recruit in the country, may suddenly be available and he has several ties to Syracuse and the New York area.
Sportscasting’s Ben Pfeifer ranked Mingo as the No. 1 player in the 2026 high school class. “Mingo’s blend of age, physical tools and feel for the game are all positive signals,” he wrote back in October. “His physical tools fuel impressive driving upside, evidenced by Mingo’s excellent 57% free-throw rate and 38.1% half-court rim frequency.”
How Good Is Dylan Mingo?
Mingo is a 6-foot-5 point guard from Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, New York, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, a suffocating defensive presence, and a handle that lets him get wherever he wants on the floor. He reads ball screens instinctively, creates for himself and others, and rebounds like a forward.
At the NBA Top 100 Camp, he was named MVP after averaging 23.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. On the EYBL circuit, he averaged 17.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and two steals. His three-point shooting — 23% in EYBL play — is the one question mark. Everything else about his game makes him look like a lock near the top of the draft.
In February, Mingo committed to North Carolina on live television, choosing the Tar Heels over Baylor, Penn State, and Washington. He was emphatic about why: “I feel like any North Carolina team in the past, especially under Coach Davis, runs through their guards. Their ability to let guards control the game is consistent.”
He chose Hubert Davis. Hubert Davis no longer works there.
The Opening
UNC’s season ended in historically ugly fashion. The Tar Heels blew a 19-point second-half lead against 11th-seeded VCU in overtime, the largest blown lead in first-round NCAA Tournament history. It was their second straight opening-round exit and Davis was fired days later.
Mingo has not signed a National Letter of Intent. He is, in every meaningful sense, a free agent. The schools he spurned in February — Baylor, Penn State, Washington — will be burning up his phone before the week is out. So will programs that never had a real shot at him when UNC was in the picture.
McNamara’s window to act is measured in days, not weeks.
Syracuse’s Recruiting Pitch
McNamara is not walking into this situation empty-handed. It’s actually quite the opposite.
The 42-year-old spent over a decade on the Syracuse bench developing NBA guards like Michael Carter-Williams, Dion Waiters, and Tyler Ennis before taking over a four-win Siena team.
There, he proved that could build a program from scratch, winning the MAAC Tournament in his second season and nearly shocking No. 1 overall seed Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. McNamara could also bring along two of his best players, Gavin Doty and Francis Folefac, which could immediately turn Syracuse into a NCAA Tournament-caliber team.
Syracuse’s 2-3 zone is a natural home for what Mingo does. His 6-foot-10 wingspan, lateral quickness, and instincts to disrupt passing lanes are tailor-made for a scheme that rewards length and disruption above everything else.
For a prospect with Mingo’s NBA ambitions, staying close to home with a coach on the rise has to be appealing.
Mingo is from Farmingdale, New York. Syracuse, located in central New York, has historically recruited Long Island heavily and views the New York City metro pipeline as its lifeblood.
Recruiting a player of Mingo’s caliber could help reignite the spark that made Syracuse a go-to destination for New York’s top prospects.
The Kiyan Anthony Connection
Every school chasing Mingo can offer him NIL money, a big stage, and a sales pitch about player development. Only one school can offer him something that cannot be manufactured: a ready-made connection to a player already on the roster.
Freshman Kiyan Anthony played alongside Mingo at Long Island Lutheran. The two players were teammates and good friends. Kiyan is someone who practiced with him, competed with him, and knows him well. When McNamara calls Mingo, the first thing he should do is hand the phone to Kiyan.
No other program in America has that card.
With UNC expected to prioritize candidates from outside the program, Mingo’s recruitment could suddenly be open again. McNamara’s next call isn’t just a recruiting pitch — it’s the first move in reshaping the future of Syracuse basketball.
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