Duke guard Nikolas Khamenia goes after a loose ball with Siena guard Gavin Doty during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 19, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson/Associated Press
The day after Siena men’s basketball coach Gerry McNamara departed for Syracuse, his best player said he’s planning to leave as well.
They could be reunited with the Orange.
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Siena sophomore Gavin Doty looks for an opening during a game against Iona on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Player Gavin Doty is interviewed after the Siena men’s basketball team found out they will be facing No. 1 overall seed Duke in the first round in Greenville, S.C. during a public watch party at the UHY Center for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday, March 15, 2026 in Loudonville, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)
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Siena’s Gavin Doty drives to the basket past Rider’s Antwan Wilson during a basketball game at MVP Arena on Sunday, March 1, 2026 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union)
Lori Van Buren/Times Union
Gavin doty of Siena takes a shot against Spence Wewe of Quinnipiac at MVP Arena in Albany, NY on Friday, February 13, 2026. Stephen Weaver/For the Times Union
Stephen Weaver
Siena sophomore Gavin Doty looks for an opening during a game against Iona on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Siena sophomore Gavin Doty reacts after missing the first of three foul shots with just under four seconds left in regulation during against Merrimack on Friday, Jan. 9. 2025, at the MVP Arena in Albany, NY. If he hit all three, the game would have been tied. (Jim Franco/Times Union)
Jim Franco/Times Union
Siena star guard Gavin Doty intends to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he told the website On3 on Wednesday.
Doty, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, was a first-team all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection this season as the Saints won the conference title. The Saints went to the NCAA Tournament and Doty scored 21 points in a 71-65 loss to Duke in the first round in Greenville, S.C.
Efforts to reach Doty were unsuccessful. The transfer portal opens on April 7, the day after the national championship game.
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Doty, from the Syracuse suburb of Fulton, is a logical candidate to follow McNamara to Syracuse. The Orange named McNamara, a Syracuse icon, as coach on Tuesday, leaving the Saints to begin to find their next coach.
“I plan on playing for G-Mac through my whole career,” Doty said immediately after the loss to Duke.
Doty averaged 18 points per game this season. He scored 991 career points for the Saints, the most by any Siena player over their first two seasons, surpassing Siena career scoring leader Marc Brown, who played from 1987 to 1991.
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Doty, who is represented by Drew Gross of WME Basketball, should receive a significant increase in name, image and likeness money if he ends up at Syracuse or another high-major program.
Doty played his AAU basketball for the Albany City Rocks.
On Wednesday, Doty received the latest honor for his sophomore season when he was named to the Eastern College Athletic Conference First Team. Doty is Siena’s 10th All-ECAC selection and the program’s third player to earn first-team honors. Previously, Jack Mulvey (1965) and Jalen Pickett (2020) were Siena players to be named All-ECAC first-team picks.
Doty is known for his relentless effort.
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“Gavin Doty is probably as close to me as anybody. … In terms of, he’s a psycho,” McNamara said after beating Merrimack in the MAAC championship game. “He’s an absolute maniac competitor.”
Doty, who considered prep school, committed to Siena in mid-June of his senior year of high school. He didn’t crack the starting lineup until the 16th game of his freshman year. He then went on to make the MAAC All-Rookie team.
Doty put in extensive work during the offseason with the help of assistant coach Ben Lee to improve his game. He refined his mid-range attack and made himself more of a 3-point threat this season.
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Despite handling the ball often, Doty also protected it extremely well with only 35 turnovers in as many games.
“I’d say I’m one of the better players in the country, regardless of level,” Doty said after the Duke loss. “I’m pretty talented, and I’ve got a group of guys and coaches that believe in me, through and through.”