We could still see some additions this summer
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
As we head into the summer, let’s take a look at the Syracuse Orange men’s basketball roster as it stands today.
Adrian Autry has 12 scholarship players signed right now and while we wait for the final House decision, it appears as though there will be room for three more players (and any walk-on on last year’s roster would be able to remain next year without counting towards the 15). Will there be any summer additions or will it just be walk-ons to fill out the bench? Let’s look at what Autry has right now.
Projected starters:
PG: Nait George
SG: JJ Starling
SF: Nate Kingz
PF: Donnie Freeman
C: William Kyle
Bench:
Guards: Kiyan Anthony, Luke Fennell, Bryce Zephir
Forwards: Sadiq White, Ibrahim Souare, Tyler Betsey, Aaron Womack
Centers: ?
The one thing that stands out is that the current group are all listed between 6’3 and 6’9. This should be a group that can match up athletically with other teams, but how will they handle big frontcourts? There isn’t a true big man on the roster right now, and it’s hard to imagine the Orange add on, which means we probably can expect Donnie Freeman or Sadiq White to be at the 5 at some point next year.
We can probably expect Starling to play some point next year as well. Luke Fennell has some scouts who rave about his potential, but we have to see if he’ll earn the trust to back up George at the point.
There will be some interesting combinations for sure as the make-up of this group should allow Autry the ability to match his line-ups. While it’s hard to see Syracuse adding a significant piece from the recruiting class, keep an eye on the court cases this summer. If the NCAA approves a 5th season of eligibility, lawsuits from players who finished their 4th year in 24-25 could quickly follow.
What happens if we see a repeat of the Diego Pavia decision and a slew of players get a 5th season in 25-26? I don’t think the Syracuse coaching staff is counting on this, it could allow them to find another potential contributor on the interior. Not to suggest that it would be a major addition, but it’s something to keep an eye on this summer. For a lot of those players, a six-figure college deal would be better than what they will have available professionally.
