Gavin Doty used Siena men's basketball as a "stepping stone" and won a conference championship last season. He holds treasured memories of the school and Saints fans.
Though he moved on to try and help Syracuse recapture its past glory, Doty will return to MVP Arena on Sunday and celebrate Siena's 2026 Metro Conference title.
Doty, now a Syracuse junior guard, will take part in the ring and banner ceremony at 1:30 p.m. before the Orange and Saints play an exhibition game at 2 p.m.
"I think it'll be special," Doty said Friday. "We had a group that worked extremely hard for that goal, and that goal was a championship. Just to get that feeling of seeing that banner up and get the ring, to see some of the hard work coming to life, it'll be a great feeling for us."
Doty, the Metro Tournament MVP, is among eight players or staff members from last year's title team now at Syracuse. Head coach Gerry McNamara left Siena for his alma mater and Doty and forwards Francis Folefac and Tasman Goodrick followed him.
McNamara also brought most of his staff to Syracuse: Ryan Blackwell, Ben Lee, Arinze Onauku and Ryan Beaury.
"Just to kind of reflect a little bit and seeing that we brought a championship there is really exciting and I love all the fans that Siena has and the place was like no other," Doty said. "So I'll always have a special place in my heart for Siena and it'll be cool seeing some of my teammates."
He'll be reunited with former Siena teammates Brendan Coyle, Reid Ducharme, Isaiah Henderson, Owen Schlager and walk-on Chris Torres, who stayed in Loudonville.
"It'll definitely be weird, being in a different locker room and being on the opposite side of the bench," Doty said. "It's definitely going to feel a little weird seeing those guys, too, in the Siena jersey and not being in one. but it's also a great game. I know they've got a great squad this year and so it'll be a great game for us."
Siena has sold about 8,000 tickets for Sunday's game.
"I think it'll be all love," Doty said. "I poured everything I had into Siena and the fans were always great toward me."
In his unofficial Syracuse debut, Doty had five points and no rebounds in 31 minutes in a 72-52 loss to UConn in an exhibition Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Doty led Siena with 18 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season. He was never held without a rebound in 52 career starts over two seasons with Siena.
"Just first game jitters," Doty said. "I had an off night, but no looking past it. You've got to be tough and get on to the next. It was our first game together… I saw a lot of good things we can grow as an I'm just excited for the new year and new challenge."
Doty, from the Syracuse suburb of Fulton, grew up going to Orange games at JMA Wireless Dome. His favorite player was forward C.J. Fair, a 2014 second-team All-American.
"Being here and having an orange jersey on is really special for me," Doty said.
Syracuse hasn't qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2021. The Orange were picked 11th in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll.
"We don't listen to any of the outsiders," Doty said. "We know the work we're putting in, the sacrifices we're making for each other. I feel like we have a good chance to be in the tournament this year."
Doty said he told his new teammates what to expect from McNamara.
"You can't bring 50% because he's always going to want you to show up," Doty said.
Doty has a superior midrange game and said he's building confidence in his 3-point shot. He said he doesn't really think about the challenge of moving up to the ACC.
"I feel I play better against the better competition," he said.
In his final Siena game, Doty scored 21 points against top-seeded Duke of the ACC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He said Syracuse fans often remind him of the near-upset in that 71-65 loss.
It was a memorable conclusion to a Siena career that began with Doty coming off the bench as a freshman.
"Siena was a stepping stone, a great spot to start my career and kind of work my way up the ladder," Doty said. "It was a great spot for me."
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