Potential 2025-26 Roster

[Dinkyspond]

AZ Compass Prep DRAGONS

I didn't look close, I thought it said "Oregon." TY.

 

[Cstate]

I just can’t wrap my head around the fact as of right now there are over 700 portal entries, yet we are already penciling in JJ as our starting 2 guard after what we just witnessed the last 2 seasons? Seems very odd. For some reason we just hate shooters. He cannot shoot and in today’s game it is a must! A team like St John’s steamrolled the regular season, but every analyst said their downfall would be their terrible outside shooting game and it ultimately was.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I just can’t wrap my head around the fact as of right now there are over 700 portal entries, yet we are already penciling in JJ as our starting 2 guard after what we just witnessed the last 2 seasons? Seems very odd. For some reason we just hate shooters. He cannot shoot and in today’s game it is a must! A team like St John’s steamrolled the regular season, but every analyst said their downfall would be their terrible outside shooting game and it ultimately was.

Red is very much committed to him apparently as a senior leader and "scorer". I don't know how this off-season will unfold or even how next season will play out. My gut says that it's not going to work, but as a fan I think it could. We definitely played a lot better down the stretch, but that was against bad teams in a bad conference and we still didn't win much.

Without killing a few days crunching numbers, I don't think it's very likely that teams who have terrible metrics change much without changing coaches. I don't think very many rebound from 100+KP ranks to top-30 in one off season. But it's also the portal era.

So, despite being a general pessimist for the last decade of SU basketball ...

 

[baggerbob]

Red is very much committed to him apparently as a senior leader and "scorer". I don't know how this off-season will unfold or even how next season will play out. My gut says that it's not going to work, but as a fan I think it could. We definitely played a lot better down the stretch, but that was against bad teams in a bad conference and we still didn't win much.

Without killing a few days crunching numbers, I don't think it's very likely that teams who have terrible metrics change much without changing coaches. I don't think very many rebound from 100+KP ranks to top-30 in one off season. But it's also the portal era.

So, despite being a general pessimist for the last decade of SU basketball ...

If JJ ends up being the focal point of SU's offense next year Red will not survive for a 4th year.
JJ needs to be a 4th or 5th option to be a very good team.

 

[ezbeezy214]

My optimal not all that realistic but still tangible roster would look like:

6’2+ PG that can shoot
JJ
Slashing Wing
Better shooting Jyare Davis
Donnie

PG that can get to basket and play w above starting PG.
Kiyan but he reaches shooting potential fast
Sadiq
Petar
Baye Moussa Keita Lite

Fennell and Womack are not forced to play but it’s a good sign if they earn it. Three starting transfers need to be all better than JJ. Backup Transfer C can be pushed out of rotation by Sadiq and Petar playing up.

Donovan Dent would be first piece of the vision.

 

[VikesCuse84]

My optimal not all that realistic but still tangible roster would look like:

6’2+ PG that can shoot
JJ
Slashing Wing
Better shooting Jyare Davis
Donnie

PG that can get to basket and play w above starting PG.
Kiyan but he reaches shooting potential fast
Sadiq
Petar
Baye Moussa Keita Lite

Fennell and Womack are not forced to play but it’s a good sign if they earn it. Three starting transfers need to be all better than JJ. Backup Transfer C can be pushed out of rotation by Sadiq and Petar playing up.

Won’t happen but my optimal would be:

6’4”+ PG that can shoot and defend
JJ (I’m assuming he’s back and no way Red wouldn’t start him)
3 and D style SF
Freeman
Rim protector, rebounder elite defensive C that isn’t a complete black hole on offense

Bench
PG that can come in and give you 10-15 solid minutes when needed
Kiyan
White
Backup C

Fennell and Womack hopefully redshirt unless they’re somehow ready to make an instant impact.

My entire focus on the offseason would be to get tougher and build an aggressive defensive identity. Need guys that play hard on defense.

 

[ezbeezy214]

Guess I’m starting to realize I’m the only one that sees Donny as 5, but either way he’s gonna be a spacer on offense. I just would like to get back to the long athletic days where we were best at delayed fast breaks, pushing the ball ahead.

 

[kcsu]

Won’t happen but my optimal would be:

6’4”+ PG that can shoot and defend
JJ (I’m assuming he’s back and no way Red wouldn’t start him)
3 and D style SF
Freeman
Rim protector, rebounder elite defensive C that isn’t a complete black hole on offense

Bench
PG that can come in and give you 10-15 solid minutes when needed
Kiyan
White
Backup C

Fennell and Womack hopefully redshirt unless they’re somehow ready to make an instant impact.

My entire focus on the offseason would be to get tougher and build an aggressive defensive identity. Need guys that play hard on defense.

Fennell is going to play

 

[cusefan88]

Donnie and JJ officially back.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Run It Back Times Two - Syracuse University Athletics

Junior J.J. Starling and freshman Donnie Freeman , the two top scorers on the 2024-25 men's basketball team, have announced their intention to return to Syra...

cuse.com

 

[VikesCuse84]

Fennell is going to play

If he’s ready great, would like him to be the 10-15 min guy off the bench in that scenario unless he’s ready like Tyler Ennis was. Really hoping they use the portal to add guys that can be shut down defenders and bring an identity back to Syracuse basketball.

 

[hoopsupstate]

If he’s ready great, would like him to be the 10-15 min guy off the bench in that scenario unless he’s ready like Tyler Ennis was. Really hoping they use the portal to add guys that can be shut down defenders and bring an identity back to Syracuse basketball.

Fennell at 6’6” could also play a little point forward.

 

[CardiacCuse]

The hope is Donnie fills his body out more and gets more comfortable playing with his height. I have more faith with him using his length to be more effective defensively. It’s an extremely rare approach to consistently feed someone to bang down low anyway.

hes closer to a SF than a C

 

[Niastri]

Guess I’m starting to realize I’m the only one that sees Donny as 5, but either way he’s gonna be a spacer on offense. I just would like to get back to the long athletic days where we were best at delayed fast breaks, pushing the ball ahead.

Freeman will be undersized as a center, but I wouldn’t mind him there five minutes per half. When he’s playing beside White, he’s either the 3 or the 5, because White’s weakness is shooting at this point.

 

[ezbeezy214]

hes closer to a SF than a C

In what way?

 

[CusefanATL]

Won’t happen but my optimal would be:

6’4”+ PG that can shoot and defend
JJ (I’m assuming he’s back and no way Red wouldn’t start him)
3 and D style SF
Freeman
Rim protector, rebounder elite defensive C that isn’t a complete black hole on offense

Bench
PG that can come in and give you 10-15 solid minutes when needed
Kiyan
White
Backup C

Fennell and Womack hopefully redshirt unless they’re somehow ready to make an instant impact.

My entire focus on the offseason would be to get tougher and build an aggressive defensive identity. Need guys that play hard on defense.

I don’t know enough to be certain, but i would be SHOCKED if Fennell redshirted.

 

[Newhouser]

I don’t know enough to be certain, but i would be SHOCKED if Fennell redshirted.

Is red shirting even a thing anymore?

 

[OrlandoCuse]

Is red shirting even a thing anymore?

Said it before but I’ll say it again, zero reason to redshirt kids anymore.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

What does Syracuse’s roster look like with the return of JJ Starling, Donnie Freeman?

JJ Starling and Donnie Freeman said Wednesday they would return to the Orange next season.

www.syracuse.com

 

[kcsu]

If he’s ready great, would like him to be the 10-15 min guy off the bench in that scenario unless he’s ready like Tyler Ennis was. Really hoping they use the portal to add guys that can be shut down defenders and bring an identity back to Syracuse basketball.

He's been playing at a pretty high level of competition. Solid handle. He shoots the 3 at a 40% clip. 19 years old.
6'6 . By all accounts good bball IQ.
I'm high in him.

 

[pearl31]

Said it before but I’ll say it again, zero reason to redshirt kids anymore.

I think there would always be reasons for a team/staff to want to redshirt certain kids, but with current landscape there's zero reason for a kid to want to/be willing to redshirt

 

[Sbucketball]

Said it before but I’ll say it again, zero reason to redshirt kids anymore.

See, I disagree with that.

From the player's perspective -- If you clearly know you're not ready freshman year and won't get any minutes, why not preserve a year of NIL earning potential? Practice for a year and then have 4 more years to earn NIL instead of 3?

From the program's perspective -- Coaches know when a kid isn't ready to contribute so it's no loss to use a redshirt if he's bench fodder anyway. Of course there's risk he transfers after you redshirt him but what's the difference if you weren't going to play him real minutes anyway. And if things change and you need him during the season, coach could burn the redshirt -- see Coach K v. Syracuse several years ago when he needed a shooter for the zone.

Definitely less common as most power programs aren't really recruiting these types anymore since most kids don't want to sit and wait. They're more likely to start at a lower level and move up. But I don't think it'll be a completely dead practice. Still has a use in certain situations.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Fennell is not redshirting guys. C'mon.

 

[ar inj]

See, I disagree with that.

From the player's perspective -- If you clearly know you're not ready freshman year and won't get any minutes, why not preserve a year of NIL earning potential? Practice for a year and then have 4 more years to earn NIL instead of 3?

From the program's perspective -- Coaches know when a kid isn't ready to contribute so it's no loss to use a redshirt if he's bench fodder anyway. Of course there's risk he transfers after you redshirt him but what's the difference if you weren't going to play him real minutes anyway. And if things change and you need him during the season, coach could burn the redshirt -- see Coach K v. Syracuse several years ago when he needed a shooter for the zone.

Definitely less common as most power programs aren't really recruiting these types anymore since most kids don't want to sit and wait. They're more likely to start at a lower level and move up. But I don't think it'll be a completely dead practice. Still has a use in certain situations.

Every kid thinks they are going to end up playing in the NBA. Why would they want to redshirt?