Calvin Russell practicing with the team

[im4cuse]

McNabb’s block on the dunk attempt against GTown was epic and, as I recall (through the fog of aging) stemmed a GTown run. Was it on Sprauge?

Jahidi White

 

[SUFaninNJ]

Jahidi White

 

[dan7800]

Josh Pace was automatic inside the free-throw line with that hook/push shot

One of my favorite players. Did all of the little things.

 

[Grbac]

Those would be his Junior year stats. He’s foregoing his senior year of HS hoops to enroll early at SU.

Thanks for the clarification. Makes his numbers look even better.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Of course, if he ever gets into a game, he’ll be referred to derisively as a “walk-on”.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

It’s always the fog’s fault.

I see what you did there.

 

[cuseallday]

McNabb’s block on the dunk attempt against GTown was epic and, as I recall (through the fog of aging) stemmed a GTown run. Was it on Sprauge?

I was a student at SU at the time. I loved that game so much.

 

[cuseallday]

Those would be his Junior year stats. He’s foregoing his senior year of HS hoops to enroll early at SU.

He averaged 21 points as a sophomore and nearly 19 points as a freshman. I wrote about this in detail back in early July: 5-star WR will also play for Syracuse basketball: 'Super skilled. Plays hard as hell.'

 

[sufan59]

A new member has been added to the juicing station!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Russell III Joins Men's Basketball Program - Syracuse University Athletics

Calvin Russell III , a two-sport standout at Miami Northwestern High School, has joined the Syracuse men's basketball program. Russell III, a 6-5, 190-pound ...

cuse.com

Calvin Russell III, a two-sport standout at Miami Northwestern High School, has joined the Syracuse men's basketball program. Russell III, a 6-5, 190-pound swingman, who has enrolled for the spring semester at Syracuse, is expected to start practice with the team and be available for games.

Syracuse previously announced that Russell III had committed to the Orange football program. A five-star recruit according to 247Sports, Russell was ranked as the number two wide receiver and number 23 overall player in the Class of 2026. He is the highest-rated Syracuse football signee in 25 years.

As a member of the Bulls basketball team, Russell III helped the team win the Greater Miami Athletic Conference Championship and reach the regional semifinals of the Florida High School Athletic Association 4A state playoffs in 2024-25. In the regional quarterfinals of the state playoffs against Somerset Academy, he posted an impressive 38 points and 19 rebounds.

During his final season of high school basketball in 2024-25, Russell III averaged 15.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He was one of the Bulls' offensive weapons as a sophomore as well, posting a career-high 21.0 points to go with 7.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. His freshman campaign saw him average 18.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

With the football Bulls, he was a two-time state champion and All-Dade County Player of the Year.

 

[bballbeadle]

lol, so the guy can mock me... but I can't say chill guy back? Sorry for always sticking up for football. The basketball guy mocked Russell

I asked who he was. I genuinely didn’t know. Sheesh.

 

[RedtheGOB]

Thank you Fran Brown! 6’5 is still 6’5 doesn’t matter what sport.

 

[Hopkins16]

To me, he appears to be a gifted and skilled football player. In basketball, he’s an athlete playing basketball.

 

[blust2i3d4]

You really block out the football side of the board lol. Has 151 pages in his recruiting thread. The biggest Syracuse football recruit of this century so far.

But can he play basketball, too? I mean everyone can play basketball, is he any good?

 

[blust2i3d4]

I think in the last century, I saw a duo sports athlete playing both sports. But he only played basketball after January starts. He played football in November and December.

 

[4evaOrange]

4eva was here

 

[cuseincincy]

Would be cool to have him pull a "McNabb" and help us beat a rival, though i don't know who our rivals are right now...

Not so worried about athleticism. It's skills that will make him effective at this level.

His stats indicate a little bit of everything with a high degree of athleticism. If he can contribute as much as McNabb did bring it on.

 

[Entropic]

In my minimal experience, athletes playing sports outside what they are skilled in can lead to injuries. Has something to do with fundamentals. Well fundamentally not playing like an out of control spaz. He may have gotten away with it playing little guys but my concern would be that level of energy going against bigger guys. Don't need him getting injured. This is Syracuse after all and we don't get to have nice things.

 

[newmexicuse]

As I recall Donovan McNabb also played hoops and actually helped us win a couple of games with solid outings.

 

[Niastri]

In my minimal experience, athletes playing sports outside what they are skilled in can lead to injuries. Has something to do with fundamentals. Well fundamentally not playing like an out of control spaz. He may have gotten away with it playing little guys but my concern would be that level of energy going against bigger guys. Don't need him getting injured. This is Syracuse after all and we don't get to have nice things.

I think part of why he is coming to Syracuse is playing basketball. It is irrelevant if he is any good at basketball, but he would be playing football for a different school if we didn't let him play basketball. Whether it's the best thing, I don't have a strong opinion.

A 6'5 200 lb 5 star football player to practice against is probably more like game reps than playing against a 6' 170 lb walkon, so it can't hurt.

And if it got said 5 star football recruit a little closer to choosing Syracuse...

 

[CuseFaninVT]

In my minimal experience, athletes playing sports outside what they are skilled in can lead to injuries. Has something to do with fundamentals. Well fundamentally not playing like an out of control spaz. He may have gotten away with it playing little guys but my concern would be that level of energy going against bigger guys. Don't need him getting injured. This is Syracuse after all and we don't get to have nice things.

That’s factually inaccurate. Playing other sports helps specialized athletes in a myriad of ways. Here’s what AI tells us about this.

Yes, playing other sports is excellent for specialized training
because it builds a broader athletic foundation, improves overall athleticism, reduces overuse injuries, prevents burnout, and enhances skills transferable to any sport, leading to better long-term performance, say experts. Diverse movements from different sports create a more complete athlete with better coordination, agility, and decision-making, making them more resilient and adaptable than someone who only practices one sport from a young age, according to sources from Geisinger, The St. James, Pipeline Sports Performance, University Hospitals, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and National Institutes of Health (NIH)

 

[Orangezoo]

I’m hoping this a kid that plays angry and brings that to practice and the bench. As to floor time ? I mean unless it’s impossible to keep him off the court even as a mid season addition, if he provides the former as a really good athlete then this is a great injection of energy.

 

[CusefanATL]

how does this affect eligibility years? does the clock start ticking now?

 

[Niastri]

how does this affect eligibility years? does the clock start ticking now?

I think it's highly unlikely his basketball eligibility is an issue. He likely plays a ton of snaps for us in the fall, and is playing in the NFL by the time his senior year of basketball eligibility is starting. But yes, if he plays in any games this year, he will burn a year of Basketball eligibility.

 

[Blanko97]

I think part of why he is coming to Syracuse is playing basketball. It is irrelevant if he is any good at basketball, but he would be playing football for a different school if we didn't let him play basketball. Whether it's the best thing, I don't have a strong opinion.

A 6'5 200 lb 5 star football player to practice against is probably more like game reps than playing against a 6' 170 lb walkon, so it can't hurt.

And if it got said 5 star football recruit a little closer to choosing Syracuse...

I was going to say this, he was playing basketball at his destination regardless