Class of 2024 PF Donnie Freeman (MD / IMG) COMMITTED & SIGNED TO SYRACUSE (5/11/23)

[Niastri]

Freeman finished in 8th place on the RSCI ranking. Our highest ranked recruit since Donte Greene.

Moore's final RSCI ranking was 77, in spite of being unranked by two of the services counted in the consensus rankings. The bottom half of the top50 often has wonky rankings, as sometimes ranking sites leave off players who are highly ranked by the other ranking sites. It is then uncertain if it was an oversight or a deliberate snub by the site leaving a player unranked.

Our class of 2 players came in 16th with 117 points.

RSCIhoops - 2024 Winners

1) Duke (465 pts) #1 Cooper Flagg#14 Kon Knueppel#16 Isaiah Evans#24 Pat Ngongba#35 Darren Harris#51 Khaman Maluach Duke gets the consensus #1 player (Flagg) and the consensus #1 class and the point total could have been higher if Malauch (a top 10 talent) had been ranked by all the services.

sites.google.com

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Queue up the complaints about him not being on campus to practice with his teammates.

 

[cusefan88]

Queue up the complaints about him not being on campus to practice with his teammates.

They haven't qualified for the main tournament. They play July 2-7 and I would say they probably are longshots to make it.

 

[Niastri]

They haven't qualified for the main tournament. They play July 2-7 and I would say they probably are longshots to make it.

With the 4 NBA players committed, I think they have a real shot to make the Olympics. They aren't playing the top teams in the world, they are playing other national team also-rans. Their first two opponents have active rosters with zero NBA players, for instance. Top Euro players often aren't good enough to get minutes in the NBA, and the Bahamas will be running out at least 4 current NBA players.

Either way, just being on the team with those guys and playing/working out with them will be huge for Freeman.

(And it really sucks he's ditching his teammates to play in a stupid qualifying tournament. Doesn't he know what's important?)

 

[orangefog]

With the 4 NBA players committed, I think they have a real shot to make the Olympics. They aren't playing the top teams in the world, they are playing other national team also-rans. Their first two opponents have active rosters with zero NBA players, for instance. Top Euro players often aren't good enough to get minutes in the NBA, and the Bahamas will be running out at least 4 current NBA players.

Either way, just being on the team with those guys and playing/working out with them will be huge for Freeman.

(And it really sucks he's ditching his teammates to play in a stupid qualifying tournament. Doesn't he know what's important?)

I think Jesse working with his national team each summer really accelerated his improvement. I think it will do the same for Donnie.

 

[SUFan44]

They’re in Spain’s qualifying tournament. Only the winner makes the Olympics. They aren’t beating Spain.

That said, still pretty awesome.

 

[Dinkyspond]

He's better off playing vs. superior competition than being on campus. He's got plenty of time to jell with the team.

Queue up the complaints about him not being on campus to practice with his teammates.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Queue up the complaints about him not being on campus to practice with his teammates.

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

View attachment 242099

Looking like middle school Martha from Baby Reindeer out here

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Looking like middle school Martha from Baby Reindeer out here

[This is from Derry Girls. She’s now on Bridgerton.]

 

[jordville]

 

[sufan59]

View attachment 242361

Really cool opportunity. Selfishly as a Syracuse fan you want him on campus asap. But if you get called you have to take this opportunity to get this experience. If we aren’t supportive there is a great risk he will resent Syracuse down the road if things don’t work out the way he wants it too in terms of his career trajectory.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Really cool opportunity. Selfishly as a Syracuse fan you want him on campus asap. But if you get called you have to take this opportunity to get this experience. If we aren’t supportive there is a great risk he will resent Syracuse down the road if things don’t work out the way he wants it too in terms of his career trajectory.

I disagree. I would much rather have him take this opportunity to train with and play against older, stronger, savvy pros. (Ex. He will learn about shooting and setting himself up to score from Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon). He will come back exponentially better than he left. The kid will learn so much more than he would have being on campus for that brief time.

 

[721Comstock]

I disagree. I would much rather have him take this opportunity to train with and play against older, stronger, savvy pros. (Ex. He will learn about shooting and setting himself up to score from Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon). He will come back exponentially better than he left. The kid will learn so much more than he would have being on campus for that brief time.

144% THIS.

It is exponentially more positively impactful for Donnie to get this experience playing with and against experienced grown-ass Pros,
than playing pickup games with his new college teammates for a few weeks.

 

[Niastri]

144% THIS.

It is exponentially more positively impactful for Donnie to get this experience playing with and against experienced grown-ass Pros,
than playing pickup games with his new college teammates for a few weeks.

Just to pig pile, I'm excited for Freeman to play in practice against a couple NBA big men, and several other guys who are almost NBA quality players.

He's going to learn a lot about being a pro, most importantly about off the court... If Freeman thinks he's working hard now, wait till he sees what Gordan is doing to still be in the NBA at 35 years old.

 

[orangefog]

Just to pig pile, I'm excited for Freeman to play in practice against a couple NBA big men, and several other guys who are almost NBA quality players.

He's going to learn a lot about being a pro, most importantly about off the court... If Freeman thinks he's working hard now, wait till he sees what Gordan is doing to still be in the NBA at 35 years old.

Hold on, Eric Gordon is 35 years old?

 

[721Comstock]

Hold on, Eric Gordon is 35 years old?

Well, tbf - so was Armando Bacot.

And he was still in college.

 

[Orangezoo]

Well, tbf - so was Armando Bacot.

And he was still in college.

Pfft Bacots kid is 35

 

[MikeSU02]

View attachment 242361

The HC of the team is having a Spo-like rise within the Golden State org. Not saying he's Spo by any means (Spo may be the best coach in the NBA). Was a video guy, he's been an assistant and head of player dev for a bit.

Good for Donnie.

 

[jdubs30]

Freeman and Edgecombe are both 2024 recruits. The only other college guy on the roster is AJ Storr. Everyone else is 22 or older.

This is a very guard heavy roster. Freeman is the 3rd tallest player.

 

[sufan59]

I disagree. I would much rather have him take this opportunity to train with and play against older, stronger, savvy pros. (Ex. He will learn about shooting and setting himself up to score from Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon). He will come back exponentially better than he left. The kid will learn so much more than he would have being on campus for that brief time.

Yeah maybe my post isn’t clear enough, but yes this has the opportunity to end up working out very well for Cuse in the end with a great likelihood he comes back better than when he left. Selfishly wanting him on campus asap as a fan is those maybe irrational feelings of what if the experience goes too well (opts out of college to focus on the draft) or goes too badly (injury likely caused by not being ready for professional competition). But yeah he’s got to take this opportunity and we have to give the full support to do this despite the potential risks. You have to be comfortable with more risk in order to have more reward.

 

[cuseattle]

Looking forward to watching Donnie in the draft a year from now. Unless he wants to stay, of course. Hope Red is there too.
Last first round pick was Lydon in '17 I think.

 

[jordville]

x.com

x.com

Sammy said he played about 15 minutes in the 102-75 loss. Bahamas didn’t have Gordon, Ayton, Jones, or Mobley.

 

[Niastri]

x.com

x.com

Sammy said he played about 15 minutes in the 102-75 loss. Bahamas didn’t have Gordon, Ayton, Jones, or Mobley.

It's going to be a very tough event if the NBA guys don't show up. Why wouldn't they be playing with the team only a few days before the games count?