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When Aiden Tobiason considered the next chapter of his college basketball journey, he found that Gerry McNamara's vision for him matched his own goals: to be an outside shooting threat who can also score inside the arc. In mid-April, Tobiason and his family traveled from Wilmington, Del., to Syracuse, where they were quickly won over by McNamara's plan. Tobiason soon committed to the Orange.
McNamara was aware that his new player would face elite competition at the NBA G-League Combine in May, which would test his development. Standing 6-6 and weighing 210 pounds with a wingspan approaching seven feet, Tobiason is physically equipped for the challenge.
Last season, Tobiason scored in double figures in 27 of 32 games for the Owls, concluding two years with the program. Now, with Syracuse set to open its exhibition schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 13, against UConn (7:00 p.m. ET / UConn Sports+), Tobiason is prepared to step into a starting role on the wing. The matchup against the Huskies will be the first of three exhibition road games and will provide an immediate test for McNamara's rebuilt roster.
Tobiason's scoring average jumped by 10.5 points per game from his freshman to sophomore year, making him one of the top scorers in the American Conference. He averaged nearly 16 points per game and had seven games with over 20 points for a Temple team that finished .500. His performance at the G-League event in May showcased his scoring versatility and ability to compete against future professionals.
During summer workouts and preseason practice, Tobiason has focused on playmaking rather than shooting. "I was playing point guard a lot over the summer, trying to make reads faster just playing more on the ball," Tobiason said Wednesday at ACC Tipoff in Charlotte. "I'm still going to shoot the three (34% from beyond the arc last season), still cut, get some dunks in there," he added. "But I definitely want to show I can be a playmaker."
A talented two-sport athlete, Tobiason also excelled in golf, learning from his father Michael, an All-American golfer at Division II Goldey-Beacom College who played professionally in the early 2000s. When asked about his golf game by ACC Tipoff moderator Trip Durham, Tobiason impressed the media audience by saying his 6-iron was "for sure" his best club and that he can drive the ball "205-to-210" yards with it.
Now entering his third collegiate season, Tobiason, a Northeast basketball fan growing up, is well aware of the struggles the Orange program has faced this decade. After nearly six months on campus and in the community, he has absorbed the pain of a passionate fan base eager for postseason success. "Talking to the fans, they are really eager to have Syracuse back winning in March (the expanded NCAA field of 76) and back on the map, and I really feel compassion with them," Tobiason said in Charlotte. "Our whole team feels it," he added. "It runs through our veins in practice. It is all about getting Syracuse back, to where Syracuse was."