SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Amarri Monroe didn’t join head coach Tom Pecora on the dais after Quinnipiac lost to Marist in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament last year. The face of the Bobcats program shared just two words with the world, which he posted on Twitter the next afternoon.
“No regrets,” he wrote.
But deep down, Monroe knew that was a lie. It’s not that he regretted turning down high-major offers and big money to withdraw from the portal and return to Quinnipiac. It was that he regretted not being
able to follow through on his promise of bringing the Bobcats to March Madness for the first time in program history.
“I came back for a reason,” he told me last offseason. “I definitely want to make history and do something that’s never been done. We got super close twice and I think this team is more than good enough to get the job done.”
“I was not okay with how last year ended,” Monroe said on Syracuse men’s basketball media day Friday. “My expectations were way higher with the team that we had. I think that was the most talented team that we had at Quinnipiac, so we definitely didn’t exceed expectations.”
But a few months later, after the dust had seemingly settled, Monroe had a lifeline. He’s one of many players across the country who have taken legal action against the NCAA seeking another year of eligibility.
For Monroe, that year, or however much he ends up playing, will come at Syracuse. He committed in August, and got a temporary injunction just earlier in October allowing him to play for now.
During his first two seasons at Quinnipiac, Monroe won back-to-back MAAC regular season championships, but the Bobcats bowed out in the semifinals each year. He won MAAC Player of the Year in 2024-25, and his decision to return set QU up as the favorite in many people’s eyes to win the conference.
He enjoyed being the face of the program and understood what it meant, but it also put a ton of weight on his shoulders. And in his senior year, the Bobcats slipped in the standings and Monroe took a step back.
“Last year was definitely a rough year,” he said. “Battled some injuries, and obviously expectations were super high. A lot of talk, a lot of media, it was definitely different last year from the prior two years.”
He dropped from 18.1 points and 9.1 rebounds to 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. In MAAC play, his offensive rating dropped from 106.3 to 99.4 in line with a 7% drop in two-point shooting percentage.
But since joining the Orange program in August, he doesn’t feel the burden of expectations in the same way. He’s reminded of his first year at Quinnipiac, when he was an emerging star and not yet the main attraction.
And most importantly, coming to Syracuse affords him one more shot at March Madness, even if it’s not with the Bobcats.
“I’m super excited for a fresh start,” he said.
But the fresh start only came after he confessed to a sin.
During Quinnipiac’s matchup with Siena last season, Monroe made one of the most improbable plays of the season, a heave at the end of the shot clock from about 40 feet to put the Bobcats ahead by 10 with under eight minutes left.
Everybody in the building saw Monroe step behind the half-court line as he gathered the ball, except the officials.
That night, Monroe played coy. Saying that he “definitely” didn’t step into the backcourt.
Now, he says that Gerry McNamara and the Orange coaching staff talk about it “pretty often.” During his first week at SU, he admitted to his new coaches that he should’ve been whistled for over and back.
Like his first season at Quinnipiac, Monroe is not expected to be the main creator. What initially made him pop at Quinnipiac was his defense and rebounding. He jumped passing lanes, guarded multiple positions, and was an animal on the glass while Savion Lewis and Matt Balanc were the primary ball handlers. That season was by far Monroe’s most efficient year at QU, and his best outside shooting campaign as well.
Coming to Syracuse, he’ll be back playing in that role.
“I just get that same vibe (as 2023-24) with this team,” he said. “Where I don’t have to have the full load. I’m able to just relax and make open shots, get downhill, play off the ball a little bit, and just be super aggressive on defense. I won’t be as tired being that I won’t have the ball in my hand all the time.”
“I think it would be great for me to not be the focal point of this team,” he said. “Because I think that’s where I play my best brand of basketball.”
