Donnie Freeman in the portal

[Orangezoo]

My understanding is that Donnie wanted roughly 3x what Sadiq wanted.

I like Sadiq. My concern is fouling out. We need a competent back up.

One thing that will help Sadiq is he won’t be the only one out there getting after it on D. When you are the only guy and everyone else is more passive you stick out like a sore thumb….

 

[Red Holzman]

One thing that will help Sadiq is he won’t be the only one out there getting after it on D. When you are the only guy and everyone else is more passive you stick out like a sore thumb….

-AND become a Fan Favorite!

 

[grepal]

-AND become a Fan Favorite!

I think a lot of fans love his heart and hustle. Already a favorite of mine. I enjoy physical basketball. Give me an old G Town getting whipped by SU game any day.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

I think a lot of fans love his heart and hustle. Already a favorite of mine. I enjoy physical basketball. Give me an old G Town getting whipped by SU game any day.

I’m a big fan of his athleticism. Reminds me of old school Cuse high flyers.

 

[granthath9]

Alabama upped their offer.

 

[CardiacCuse]

William Kyle - Red gave him the chance to play and he had his best rebounding, blocks and steal #’s for his career.

the william kyle glazing on this site is something i will never be able to understand

• The Orange struggled against physical conference opponents. In a key loss to North Carolina, they surrendered 42 points in the paint, a number that mirrored their defensive struggles against elite interior scoring throughout the season.
• The team's defensive rating finished at 107.4, ranking outside the top 200 nationally.
• The men's team finished 14th in the ACC, largely due to a -3.7 rebounding margin and high points allowed in the paint.
• Based on game reports and box scores, here are the worst 5 games in the paint for the Orange:
  1. vs. Duke (Feb 16, 2026): In a devastating 101–64 loss, Syracuse surrendered 52 points in the paint. The Blue Devils dominated the interior with nine dunks and a +22 margin in paint scoring (52–30).
  2. vs. North Carolina (Feb 21, 2026): During a late-season 77–64 loss, the Orange allowed 42 points in the paint. The Tar Heels' 7-foot center Henri Veesaar returned to lead the interior attack, outscoring Syracuse 42–32 in that area.
  3. at Wake Forest (Feb 28, 2026): In a game where the defense was described as "flailing," the Demon Deacons doubled up the Orange in the paint (20–10) in just the first half alone.
  4. vs. Pittsburgh (Mar 7, 2026): In the regular-season finale, Syracuse lost 71–69 in overtime. The game-winning points came directly in the paint via a goaltending call on a layup attempt that Syracuse's rim protection was too late to contest.
  5. at North Carolina (Feb 2, 2026): In their first meeting with UNC, Syracuse allowed 38 points in the paint while struggling to contain the Tar Heels' low-post touches.

yeah kyle had some cool dunks and blocks...but it simply wasnt good enough from him overall.

wouldnt want him as my starting center on my ncaabb team (if i had championship aspirations - and I do)

im glad gmac seems aware that height is a non-negotiable in basketball

 

[Eric15]

Syracuse had its chance with Donnie. First, I think he wants a change of scenery and was at Syracuse for Autry. Dude should’ve been in the NBA now if things went to plan. GMAC has his own plan. So what if he brought Donnie back? What about Sadiq White? It makes no sense from a roster construction standpoint to have both. Donnie probably has a slightly higher ceiling overall, but Sadiq White is clearly the better fit for GMAC and what needed to happen happened. Good luck to Donnie and the next coach in getting Donnie to really break out beyond delivering a nice individual stat sheet. Seems like a good person, so genuinely rooting for it to happen. But I or no one should lose a second of sleep because you should’ve accepted the day Autry was out that he would be gone.

At the end of the day, I see it as a simple cost-benefit equation. With some players, such as DeShaun Williams, Louie McCroskey or Benny Williams, their quality of play simply wasn't good enough to offset the immature baggage/toxicity that they brought to the roster. It was addition by subtraction after they left.

I don't see it that way with Donnie. I completely get that he wasn't the consummate teammate last year and seemed checked out at times. But I don't think it was nearly severe enough that it couldn't have been corrected with a new coaching style, especially given how much natural talent he has.

That said, if he doesn't want to be at Syracuse, then it's all a moot point. But man our roster would have looked really solid next year with him in it.

 

[RedtheGOB]

the william kyle glazing on this site is something i will never be able to understand

• The Orange struggled against physical conference opponents. In a key loss to North Carolina, they surrendered 42 points in the paint, a number that mirrored their defensive struggles against elite interior scoring throughout the season.
• The team's defensive rating finished at 107.4, ranking outside the top 200 nationally.
• The men's team finished 14th in the ACC, largely due to a -3.7 rebounding margin and high points allowed in the paint.
• Based on game reports and box scores, here are the worst 5 games in the paint for the Orange:
  1. vs. Duke (Feb 16, 2026): In a devastating 101–64 loss, Syracuse surrendered 52 points in the paint. The Blue Devils dominated the interior with nine dunks and a +22 margin in paint scoring (52–30).
  2. vs. North Carolina (Feb 21, 2026): During a late-season 77–64 loss, the Orange allowed 42 points in the paint. The Tar Heels' 7-foot center Henri Veesaar returned to lead the interior attack, outscoring Syracuse 42–32 in that area.
  3. at Wake Forest (Feb 28, 2026): In a game where the defense was described as "flailing," the Demon Deacons doubled up the Orange in the paint (20–10) in just the first half alone.
  4. vs. Pittsburgh (Mar 7, 2026): In the regular-season finale, Syracuse lost 71–69 in overtime. The game-winning points came directly in the paint via a goaltending call on a layup attempt that Syracuse's rim protection was too late to contest.
  5. at North Carolina (Feb 2, 2026): In their first meeting with UNC, Syracuse allowed 38 points in the paint while struggling to contain the Tar Heels' low-post touches.

yeah kyle had some cool dunks and blocks...but it simply wasnt good enough from him overall.

wouldnt want him as my starting center on my ncaabb team (if i had championship aspirations - and I do)

im glad gmac seems aware that height is a non-negotiable in basketball

While all true on the big man and I appreciate the AI rundown. All the games you mentioned were after wheels had fell off the bus.

Surprisingly we handled some big boys early on in the year. By Feb and March our guards and Freeman had basically just stopped playing D and Kyle was on an island to fend for himself.

Oddly enough I felt Kyle and Kingz were the only ones that put up a fight and they were the lowest paid starters.

 

[Cheriehoop]

the william kyle glazing on this site is something i will never be able to understand

• The Orange struggled against physical conference opponents. In a key loss to North Carolina, they surrendered 42 points in the paint, a number that mirrored their defensive struggles against elite interior scoring throughout the season.
• The team's defensive rating finished at 107.4, ranking outside the top 200 nationally.
• The men's team finished 14th in the ACC, largely due to a -3.7 rebounding margin and high points allowed in the paint.
• Based on game reports and box scores, here are the worst 5 games in the paintfor the Orange:
  1. vs. Duke (Feb 16, 2026): In a devastating 101–64 loss, Syracuse surrendered 52 points in the paint. The Blue Devils dominated the interior with nine dunks and a +22 margin in paint scoring (52–30).
  2. vs. North Carolina (Feb 21, 2026): During a late-season 77–64 loss, the Orange allowed 42 points in the paint. The Tar Heels' 7-foot center Henri Veesaar returned to lead the interior attack, outscoring Syracuse 42–32 in that area.
  3. at Wake Forest (Feb 28, 2026): In a game where the defense was described as "flailing," the Demon Deacons doubled up the Orange in the paint (20–10) in just the first half alone.
  4. vs. Pittsburgh (Mar 7, 2026): In the regular-season finale, Syracuse lost 71–69 in overtime. The game-winning points came directly in the paint via a goaltending call on a layup attempt that Syracuse's rim protection was too late to contest.
  5. at North Carolina (Feb 2, 2026): In their first meeting with UNC, Syracuse allowed 38 points in the paint while struggling to contain the Tar Heels' low-post touches.

yeah kyle had some cool dunks and blocks...but it simply wasnt good enough from him overall.

wouldnt want him as my starting center on my ncaabb team (if i had championship aspirations - and I do)

im glad gmac seems aware that height is a non-negotiable in basketball

How did UNC get into the paint so many times?

 

[CardiacCuse]

How did UNC get into the paint so many times?

what did kyle do once unc got into the paint? nothing!!!!

go watch the games

its the center's job to control the paint and SU got mauled in the paint all season with kyle, for the most part

of course donnie and the forwards have something to do with that...kingz and betsey and even donnie are all more perimter players anyway...but still the center position was lacking...

i cant count how many times teams got easy buckets in the paint when kyle was in the vicinity, looking right at the shooter...it was so annoying

While all true on the big man and I appreciate the AI rundown. All the games you mentioned were after wheels had fell off the bus.

Surprisingly we handled some big boys early on in the year. By Feb and March our guards and Freeman had basically just stopped playing D and Kyle was on an island to fend for himself.

Oddly enough I felt Kyle and Kingz were the only ones that put up a fight and they were the lowest paid starters.

early in the season before red lost the team, kyle actually impressed me...able to hold it down in the paint pretty well

but in acc play he was a different and completely ineffective player (albeit with some great highlights here and there)....i think people just stopped paying attention at some point

and kyle was a good interview and had a good attitude so hes easy to root for

but from a strictly win-loss perspective, kyle just wasnt a winning center in acc play

did i like watching him? yes mostly

did he have awesome dunks? yes

and great blocks? yes

but...would i want him as the starter this year? no chance...and that tells it all

 

[phsyra]

Kyle had no skills. He should have been an off the bench energy guy...just like JJ should have been a sixth man on any other team.

 

[PeteCalvin]

I feel like I'm the only one on this board who feels this way, but if we had kept Donnie along with all the new additions I'd feel much better about our roster. I would have loved for the new staff to have coached him and to have seen what they could have gotten out of him.

I’m sure the staff wanted him back, but there was no way in heck they were paying $3M+ for him after last season. They probably felt the odds of retaining Donnie were very very low, which is why Sadiq became the must keep player.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

what did kyle do once unc got into the paint? nothing!!!!

go watch the games

its the center's job to control the paint and SU got mauled in the paint all season with kyle, for the most part

of course donnie and the forwards have something to do with that...kingz and betsey and even donnie are all more perimter players anyway...but still the center position was lacking...

i cant count how many times teams got easy buckets in the paint when kyle was in the vicinity, looking right at the shooter...it was so annoying

early in the season before red lost the team, kyle actually impressed me...able to hold it down in the paint pretty well

but in acc play he was a different and completely ineffective player (albeit with some great highlights here and there)...i think people just stopped paying attention at some point

and kyle was a good interview and had a good attitude so hes easy to root for

but from a strictly win-loss perspective, kyle just wasnt a winning center in acc play

did i like watching him? yes mostly

did he have awesome dunks? yes

and great blocks? yes

but...would i want him as the starter this year? no chance...and that tells it all

So he’s supposed to defend everyone, all by himself? I’m not sure you understand how teams work.

 

[OmahaCuse]

Kyle had no skills. He should have been an off the bench energy guy...just like JJ should have been a sixth man on any other team.

Odd he was named one of the top defensive players in the country and one of the leaders in blocks. Odd that the Knicks had him in for workouts. He was the best player on the team hands down.

 

[baggerbob]

what did kyle do once unc got into the paint? nothing!!!!

go watch the games

its the center's job to control the paint and SU got mauled in the paint all season with kyle, for the most part

of course donnie and the forwards have something to do with that...kingz and betsey and even donnie are all more perimter players anyway...but still the center position was lacking...

i cant count how many times teams got easy buckets in the paint when kyle was in the vicinity, looking right at the shooter...it was so annoying

early in the season before red lost the team, kyle actually impressed me...able to hold it down in the paint pretty well

but in acc play he was a different and completely ineffective player (albeit with some great highlights here and there)...i think people just stopped paying attention at some point

and kyle was a good interview and had a good attitude so hes easy to root for

but from a strictly win-loss perspective, kyle just wasnt a winning center in acc play

did i like watching him? yes mostly

did he have awesome dunks? yes

and great blocks? yes

but...would i want him as the starter this year? no chance...and that tells it all

When your 2 guards out front play Matador defense all the time its impossible to control the paint. George and JJ wouldn't have lasted 2 games back when DC was playing By the 2nd or 3rd time they went " Ole", he would have hurt one of them.

 

[phsyra]

Odd he was named one of the top defensive players in the country and one of the leaders in blocks. Odd that the Knicks had him in for workouts. He was the best player on the team hands down.

agreed. thats how bad our team was.

 

[atlanticuse]

the william kyle glazing on this site is something i will never be able to understand

• The Orange struggled against physical conference opponents. In a key loss to North Carolina, they surrendered 42 points in the paint, a number that mirrored their defensive struggles against elite interior scoring throughout the season.
• The team's defensive rating finished at 107.4, ranking outside the top 200 nationally.
• The men's team finished 14th in the ACC, largely due to a -3.7 rebounding margin and high points allowed in the paint.
• Based on game reports and box scores, here are the worst 5 games in the paintfor the Orange:
  1. vs. Duke (Feb 16, 2026): In a devastating 101–64 loss, Syracuse surrendered 52 points in the paint. The Blue Devils dominated the interior with nine dunks and a +22 margin in paint scoring (52–30).
  2. vs. North Carolina (Feb 21, 2026): During a late-season 77–64 loss, the Orange allowed 42 points in the paint. The Tar Heels' 7-foot center Henri Veesaar returned to lead the interior attack, outscoring Syracuse 42–32 in that area.
  3. at Wake Forest (Feb 28, 2026): In a game where the defense was described as "flailing," the Demon Deacons doubled up the Orange in the paint (20–10) in just the first half alone.
  4. vs. Pittsburgh (Mar 7, 2026): In the regular-season finale, Syracuse lost 71–69 in overtime. The game-winning points came directly in the paint via a goaltending call on a layup attempt that Syracuse's rim protection was too late to contest.
  5. at North Carolina (Feb 2, 2026): In their first meeting with UNC, Syracuse allowed 38 points in the paint while struggling to contain the Tar Heels' low-post touches.

yeah kyle had some cool dunks and blocks...but it simply wasnt good enough from him overall.

wouldnt want him as my starting center on my ncaabb team (if i had championship aspirations - and I do)

im glad gmac seems aware that height is a non-negotiable in basketball

isn't this the Freeman thread?

 

[CardiacCuse]

Odd he was named one of the top defensive players in the country and one of the leaders in blocks. Odd that the Knicks had him in for workouts. He was the best player on the team hands down.

kingz was wayyyy better. better on both sides of the ball. not even close

 

[SaveSUHoops]

 

[PeteCalvin]

So UK it is?

 

[Cheriehoop]

So UK it is?

Or Alabama.

 

[sufan59]

Alabama just signed another PF/C type along side Bukky. They have three guys taller than freeman for two positions. Kentucky seems like a foregone conclusion.

Bukky the center from Santa Clara is going to Auburn

 

[capeorange]

Or Alabama.

Oats prefers blue collar players, I don't think fits that style.

 

[granthath9]

Bukky the center from Santa Clara is going to Auburn

Deleted the original post. Thanks. My point still stands, Alabama has 3 guys taller than Freeman. My fault.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Oats prefers blue collar players, I don't think fits that style.

He may have been playing an NIL bidding game with Kentucky and Alabama etc and UConn sounds like it may have opted out but who knows? As far as I know though he still hasn’t committed anywhere.