Syracuse Basketball: Assessing SU’s potential remaining portal needs this off-season

At this point in the off-season, Syracuse basketball has 10 scholarship players ahead of the 2024-25 season, based on departures at the high school level, incoming transfers and 2024 pledges.

The current transfer-portal window in college basketball will close on May 1, meaning players who eventually want to transfer to a new school will have to be in the portal by then. This doesn’t mean these transfer prospects have to commit to a new school by May 1, so developmental recruiting through the portal, whether at ‘Cuse or elsewhere, could last additional weeks or months.

Seven players so far this offseason Orange’s 2023–24 roster Have arrived at the portal. Sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is heading to the NBA Draft this summer. That’s eight departures.

On the other hand, five people are expected to return, at least for some time. ‘Cuse brings two high school seniors and Syracuse basketball up to date have secured three commitments from the transfer portal,

Thus, the Orange coaching staff has three open scholarships available. I don’t necessarily think the ‘Cuse will end up with 13 scholarship players for 2024-25, but the team could potentially add a guy or two before the next step.

Here is the 2024-25 roster, as it currently stands, sorted by positional groups:
guard
Sophomore JJ Starling
Sophomore Chance Vestri (can also play small forward)
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Cuffe Jr.
Junior Jaquan Carlos, transfer from hofstra
Incoming freshman Elijah Moore

Ahead
Second year student Chris Bell
Senior Zaire Davis, transfer from Delaware
Incoming freshman Donnie Freeman (likely to play spot minutes at center)

centers
Senior Eddie Lampkin Jr., transfer from Colorado
Junior Naheem McLeod

Based on this current roster, my best guess at the starting rotation is Starling, Carlos, Bell, either Davis or Freeman and Lampkin.

As I mentioned in another recent column, I think the biggest remaining need this off-season is ‘cues. Another big man for depth, Rolling with only two true centers bothers me a bit, especially since McLeod was injured for a large portion of 2023-24.

The tricky part for the Orange staff is finding a reserve big man who can play power forward and/or center, but will want to join a team where he is unlikely to see a lot of runs until 2024-25. Do not have significant injury issues. (“knock on wood”).

I think the ‘Cuse staff could be looking at a big man who is in the portal and possibly an underclassman who is not expecting big minutes in 2024-25, or possibly a junior college (“JUCO”) or even ​​That even from high school level.

When the Orange Guard targeted four-star transfer prospect Dakota LeFew, Announced his commitment to Georgia on SaturdayI noted that despite this omission for the ‘Cuse, the team’s backcourt still holds a lot of promise.

But to that end, I think if there’s a potential need for Syracuse basketball other than an additional big man, it’s to bring in a 3-point specialist. Whether it’s some type of guard or small forward (ie, a wing player),

Bell was the Orange’s best 3-point shooter in 2023-24, and He was one of the top long-range shooters in the Atlantic Coast Conference, He’s a little weird, I’ll admit.

Beyond Bell, though, if we’re talking about 3-point shooting in 2024-25, we need to focus our attention on guys like Moore, Carlos, Starling, Cuff, Vestry, and Freeman.

However, here’s the deal. Analysts say Moore is a great 3-point shooter and Freeman has greatly improved from the perimeter. However, they are both new to the collegiate game.

Starling shot about 32 percent from deep in 2023-24, but he was better in the second half of last season. Cough connected on about 34 percent of limited attempts; Carlos had the same 3-point shooting percentage. Vestri was injured throughout the final stretch, and is not known as a 3-point specialist.

With this background my point is that the Syracuse basketball staff could – I repeat, could – possibly consider adding another 3-point shooter, whether through the portal, the JUCO route or even at high school level,

The challenge here, similar to finding a big man, is to convince a player to transfer to the ‘Cuse for 2024-25 (and beyond), when at least getting some minutes in the upcoming campaign is going to prove difficult. Is.