Class of 2025 SF Aaron Womack (WI) COMMITTED TO SYRACUSE (9/30/24)

[jr4750]

What seed were we the last 2 years?

Exactly!

 

[cayugacuse]

YouTube has two highlight videos from last season. I can embed one of them below. Aaron Womack is in the white/green Dominican Knights #24 jersey.

December 2, 2023: Dominican 109, Oak Creek 68 (box score, video highlights)



October 28, 2023: Dominican 73, Oshkosh North 60 (video highlights)

I couldn't find a box score, but the opposing team featured Xzavion Mitchell, Wisconsin's top player in the 2025 class, #65 overall according to RSCI, and an Iowa State commit.

Thanks for posting this!

 

[sutomcat]

YouTube has two highlight videos from last season. I can embed one of them below. Aaron Womack is in the white/green Dominican Knights #24 jersey.

December 2, 2023: Dominican 109, Oak Creek 68 (box score, video highlights)



October 28, 2023: Dominican 73, Oshkosh North 60 (video highlights)

I couldn't find a box score, but the opposing team featured Xzavion Mitchell, Wisconsin's top player in the 2025 class, #65 overall according to RSCI, and an Iowa State commit.

Thanks for posting this satsuma.

I watched most of the Oak Creek game.

Oak Creek was small and not very athletic. They played the game below the rim.

Dominican pressured the ball hard all game and ran whenever this was possible. They play at a breakneck pace, which has to be near and dear to Adrian's heart (we all know he wants Syracuse to be a running team).

Aaron was the safety net for their press, hanging out near the basket. He was challenged a few times and the Oak Creek kids got their shots blocked when they tried. I had him with at least 4 blocks watching the first 2/3s of the video. He waits until the ball is released, has his arms up and jumps/extends. Didn't see him get called for any fouls. Thinking he is not going to be the type that gets into a lot of foul trouble. Appears to have a high hoops IQ.

When he got the ball on the defensive end, he almost always drove for the hoop. Hard. He doesn't look like a great athlete but he is a very good athlete and gets down the court quickly. His handle looked solid and he looks very comfortable with the ball.

Anticpates well when rebounding. Very skinny and does not box out. Relies on his moxie and length to get boards.

Finishes with both hands. Hard to tell which hand is his natural one when he finishes (but you can when he dribbles; uses his right almost exclusively). Posted his undersized man up and scored with his back to the ball a couple times. I think they left him open for a jumper three times and he swished them all.

When he had a teammate open, he hit him consistently. Unselfish (though when he is driving to the hoop on a fast break, he seems to take the shot every time). But he made them all and I think he knows he can so no issues there.

I think he is the kind of a guy that is talented enough to fill in at PG for brief periods. The big issue he has now is strength. If he can't get stronger, he isn't going to play in the ACC. If he can get up to 200-215, he is going to be a problem for opposing teams.

Read he has grown 3 inches in the past year and is still growing. If he gets up to 6'7 or 6'8 and can fill out that body with muscle, he could be really good.

I assume we told him he saw him as a development player who would need to work hard in the weight room for a year or two to get his body ready for college ball. If that is the plan and he is on board for it, I think it makes great sense to take him. I have more confidence in our ability to get young players to add a significant amount of muscle with the new staff than we have in recent years. Hopefully this is the case here.

Smart, smooth and surprisingly polished for a kid out of Milwaukee. There is a lot to like here.

I will try and watch the other video soon.

 

[HyattsCuse]

Feel the same way let the man build his program

I agree this is, ultimately, the correct approach as it is only Year 2. However, I think all the skepticism is still residual carry over from the Boeheim years.

For years, Boeheim would get a Womack type player and one of two things would happen:
1) the kid would get on campus, develop, and turn into a really good player, or
2) especially as we got into the 2010's, the "under the radar" type of recruit blew up (e.g. Jonny Flynn, MCW) before even getting to campus. It was awesome!

Unfortunately, the last decade or so of the JB era, things gradually deteriorated. We were (at last, I was) still giving JB the benefit of the doubt because of his recruiting/development track record, along with a surprise F4 run and a couple S16s, but the reality turned out being that the recruits he was getting just were not the level of player that we were used to seeing at Syracuse; finishing it off with his last "best ever recruiting class" where only Bell remains.

I think it's hard to just flip a switch and trust Red to do a full 180 from the final JB years. I thought Year 1 of the Red era was a great start, and I am actually really excited for this coming year because we are going to see what Red's eye for talent is with his recruiting class (high school and portal guys) and how the players develop throughout the season. This is HIS team. I think it'll go a long way if they get back to the tournament as a non-bubble team to help people believe he's righting the ship versus it being more of the same.

 

[Cappy3]

I’d feel better if this had been someone we’d been recruiting all along. But we weren’t. It has the feel of almost a panic offer, like we aren’t going to get anyone good, so someone is better than no one. I hope I’m wrong, but looking at the list of low major schools that were recruiting him doesn’t generate confidence.

 

[Bayside44]

I agree this is, ultimately, the correct approach as it is only Year 2. However, I think all the skepticism is still residual carry over from the Boeheim years.

For years, Boeheim would get a Womack type player and one of two things would happen:
1) the kid would get on campus, develop, and turn into a really good player, or
2) especially as we got into the 2010's, the "under the radar" type of recruit blew up (e.g. Jonny Flynn, MCW) before even getting to campus. It was awesome!

Unfortunately, the last decade or so of the JB era, things gradually deteriorated. We were (at last, I was) still giving JB the benefit of the doubt because of his recruiting/development track record, along with a surprise F4 run and a couple S16s, but the reality turned out being that the recruits he was getting just were not the level of player that we were used to seeing at Syracuse; finishing it off with his last "best ever recruiting class" where only Bell remains.

I think it's hard to just flip a switch and trust Red to do a full 180 from the final JB years. I thought Year 1 of the Red era was a great start, and I am actually really excited for this coming year because we are going to see what Red's eye for talent is with his recruiting class (high school and portal guys) and how the players develop throughout the season. This is HIS team. I think it'll go a long way if they get back to the tournament as a non-bubble team to help people believe he's righting the ship versus it being more of the same.

Good post.

For all the stuff about outside hire of whatever, Red and the program are really a radical departure in many ways. We will recruit depth. The guys we bring in are deeply scouted and financially slotted. The kids will actually go to class. We will find, or attempt to recruit guys that compliment each other. When Red talks about his guys he will have ten dudes to talk about.

 

[mark79]

Thanks for posting this satsuma.

I watched most of the Oak Creek game.

Oak Creek was small and not very athletic. They played the game below the rim.

Dominican pressured the ball hard all game and ran whenever this was possible. They play at a breakneck pace, which has to be near and dear to Adrian's heart (we all know he wants Syracuse to be a running team).

Aaron was the safety net for their press, hanging out near the basket. He was challenged a few times and the Oak Creek kids got their shots blocked when they tried. I had him with at least 4 blocks watching the first 2/3s of the video. He waits until the ball is released, has his arms up and jumps/extends. Didn't see him get called for any fouls. Thinking he is not going to be the type that gets into a lot of foul trouble. Appears to have a high hoops IQ.

When he got the ball on the defensive end, he almost always drove for the hoop. Hard. He doesn't look like a great athlete but he is a very good athlete and gets down the court quickly. His handle looked solid and he looks very comfortable with the ball.

Anticpates well when rebounding. Very skinny and does not box out. Relies on his moxie and length to get boards.

Finishes with both hands. Hard to tell which hand is his natural one when he finishes (but you can when he dribbles; uses his right almost exclusively). Posted his undersized man up and scored with his back to the ball a couple times. I think they left him open for a jumper three times and he swished them all.

When he had a teammate open, he hit him consistently. Unselfish (though when he is driving to the hoop on a fast break, he seems to take the shot every time). But he made them all and I think he knows he can so no issues there.

I think he is the kind of a guy that is talented enough to fill in at PG for brief periods. The big issue he has now is strength. If he can't get stronger, he isn't going to play in the ACC. If he can get up to 200-215, he is going to be a problem for opposing teams.

Read he has grown 3 inches in the past year and is still growing. If he gets up to 6'7 or 6'8 and can fill out that body with muscle, he could be really good.

I assume we told him he saw him as a development player who would need to work hard in the weight room for a year or two to get his body ready for college ball. If that is the plan and he is on board for it, I think it makes great sense to take him. I have more confidence in our ability to get young players to add a significant amount of muscle with the new staff than we have in recent years. Hopefully this is the case here.

Smart, smooth and surprisingly polished for a kid out of Milwaukee. There is a lot to like here.

I will try and watch the other video soon.

Agree. Watching this tape he did not seem like a catch and shoot player only. He was very comfortable dribbling the ball at high speed down the court and finishing. Like you said he is not a highlight reel kind of player, but he’s “Moten smooth” and I like his game. Would love for him to turn into a Moten type player. What a huge victory that would be.

 

[RF2044]

Thanks for posting this satsuma.

I watched most of the Oak Creek game.

Oak Creek was small and not very athletic. They played the game below the rim.

Dominican pressured the ball hard all game and ran whenever this was possible. They play at a breakneck pace, which has to be near and dear to Adrian's heart (we all know he wants Syracuse to be a running team).

Aaron was the safety net for their press, hanging out near the basket. He was challenged a few times and the Oak Creek kids got their shots blocked when they tried. I had him with at least 4 blocks watching the first 2/3s of the video. He waits until the ball is released, has his arms up and jumps/extends. Didn't see him get called for any fouls. Thinking he is not going to be the type that gets into a lot of foul trouble. Appears to have a high hoops IQ.

When he got the ball on the defensive end, he almost always drove for the hoop. Hard. He doesn't look like a great athlete but he is a very good athlete and gets down the court quickly. His handle looked solid and he looks very comfortable with the ball.

Anticpates well when rebounding. Very skinny and does not box out. Relies on his moxie and length to get boards.

Finishes with both hands. Hard to tell which hand is his natural one when he finishes (but you can when he dribbles; uses his right almost exclusively). Posted his undersized man up and scored with his back to the ball a couple times. I think they left him open for a jumper three times and he swished them all.

When he had a teammate open, he hit him consistently. Unselfish (though when he is driving to the hoop on a fast break, he seems to take the shot every time). But he made them all and I think he knows he can so no issues there.

I think he is the kind of a guy that is talented enough to fill in at PG for brief periods. The big issue he has now is strength. If he can't get stronger, he isn't going to play in the ACC. If he can get up to 200-215, he is going to be a problem for opposing teams.

Read he has grown 3 inches in the past year and is still growing. If he gets up to 6'7 or 6'8 and can fill out that body with muscle, he could be really good.

I assume we told him he saw him as a development player who would need to work hard in the weight room for a year or two to get his body ready for college ball. If that is the plan and he is on board for it, I think it makes great sense to take him. I have more confidence in our ability to get young players to add a significant amount of muscle with the new staff than we have in recent years. Hopefully this is the case here.

Smart, smooth and surprisingly polished for a kid out of Milwaukee. There is a lot to like here.

I will try and watch the other video soon.

Good post, Tom. I'm encouraged that he performed well at summer AAU -- that's a good sign.

But I reserve judgement until I see more film against good competition.

But on what limited game clips we've seen [from the 3 or 4 sets tacked to this thread], he has some interesting tools:

• Smooth looking jump shot, very solid three point shooter
• Long arms [6-5 height, but with a 6-9 wingspan]
• Good athlete who runs the floor well
• Solid handle in the open floor, and appears to see the floor well
• Finishes with either hand
• Takes it to the hole aggressively, adjusting his "finish" based upon the previous bullet
• "Plus" shot blocker for a wing

There are also some "negatives" / opportunities for improvement -- namely:

• Skinny frame
• Level of competition [although reportedly his HS program is a Wisconsin powerhouse]?

Dasher also reported that the staff was worried that Marquette would swoop in, that there were other P5 programs trying to get involved, that they kept this hush-hush because they wanted to close the deal without other teams ramping up THEIR efforts, and that he popped on their "moneyball" advanced metrics. All of that is positive, and suggests that Womack is a quality prospect.

We also need to be honest that he was fourth on the "recruiting board," at a key position of need -- and we struck out on the top three guys rated ahead of him.

Both of those things can be true at the same time.

 

[DilemaCuse]

I agree this is, ultimately, the correct approach as it is only Year 2. However, I think all the skepticism is still residual carry over from the Boeheim years.

For years, Boeheim would get a Womack type player and one of two things would happen:
1) the kid would get on campus, develop, and turn into a really good player, or
2) especially as we got into the 2010's, the "under the radar" type of recruit blew up (e.g. Jonny Flynn, MCW) before even getting to campus. It was awesome!

Unfortunately, the last decade or so of the JB era, things gradually deteriorated. We were (at last, I was) still giving JB the benefit of the doubt because of his recruiting/development track record, along with a surprise F4 run and a couple S16s, but the reality turned out being that the recruits he was getting just were not the level of player that we were used to seeing at Syracuse; finishing it off with his last "best ever recruiting class" where only Bell remains.

I think it's hard to just flip a switch and trust Red to do a full 180 from the final JB years. I thought Year 1 of the Red era was a great start, and I am actually really excited for this coming year because we are going to see what Red's eye for talent is with his recruiting class (high school and portal guys) and how the players develop throughout the season. This is HIS team. I think it'll go a long way if they get back to the tournament as a non-bubble team to help people believe he's righting the ship versus it being more of the same.

This is really accurate and how I would describe things.

I like that we have Freeman and soon to be White, which is higher level players than at the end of JB

But I think the part that is concerning is we are taking this verbal in September/October as our 2nd commit to the class. I think they want to ensure they have another player lined up for the early signing period in November.

It reminds me a bit of taking Jon Bol Ajak's commitment when they couldn't get Kofi Cockburn and others and Isaiah Stewart was dragging things out.

Now taking a guy like this late in the cycle, after the season, when your just looking to use up scholarships, no one is sweating it and your welcoming it, such as Marek, Robert Braswell, Jessie Edwards etc. Timing in the recruiting cycle plays a factor in how this is perceived.

 

[Niastri]

Amazing how willing we are to bash and slight our own..

it’s really too bad.

Lots of entitled fans.

But anyway hope this kid keeps progressing, because his stroke looks money $$.
I for one am happy to have him and trust the staffs ability to scout players and do their best to grow the program.

If only they could take notes from all the experts on this board - we’d be back to competing for championships.

GO and Welcome Aaron Womack

I don't think it's a coincidence that we hired an experienced NBA scout to help with recruiting and then quickly recruit and accept a unknown player with impressive raw tools.

I'm willing to bet Kline and Autry see something they really like in Womack, and really wanted him. Otherwise, they would have given a soft offer that wasn't really committable and slow played him while continuing to recruit preferred targets.

You don't move this quickly with an unknown player if you aren't impressed with what you see.

Womack being listed as a guard instead of a forward is also interesting... He can play next to Abaev or other forwards as a big guard, or play as the big guard in a three guard lineup next to Anthony.

Well see if he continues to grow and get stronger over the next year.

 

[Cuse_NYC]

I don't think it's a coincidence that we hired an experienced NBA scout to help with recruiting and then quickly recruit and accept a unknown player with impressive raw tools.

I'm willing to bet Kline and Autry see something they really like in Womack, and really wanted him. Otherwise, they would have given a soft offer that wasn't really committable and slow played him while continuing to recruit preferred targets.

You don't move this quickly with an unknown player if you aren't impressed with what you see.

Womack being listed as a guard instead of a forward is also interesting... He can play next to Abaev or other forwards as a big guard, or play as the big guard in a three guard lineup next to Anthony.

Well see if he continues to grow and get stronger over the next year.

Abaev seems to be after the biggest bag. I’m guessing we end up with a 4 star decommit guy, later on

 

[OrangeTown]

Posted his undersized man up and scored with his back to the ball a couple times.

I mean, how do we say no to a kid that can score with his back to the ball?

 

[DoctahLexus]

We definitely have a larger trend since the last years of the JB era where we are supposedly in the ring for higher end guys and seemingly settle for a lower rated recruit. It has been an issue with our recent prospects in the portal as well. People getting mad are just seeing this as part of that trend, not just criticizing the kid. It is hard to hear about other potential prospects looking elsewhere while we end up with a guy with no other P5 offers.

That being said, do we not already have our primary high end SF recruit in Sadiq White? Would this guy not just be a secondary recruit at a position where we already landed a quality recruit? I also wonder if that makes a guy like Shon Abev hesitate. Would he not rather commit to a place that has yet to land a high end SF recruit in their class? Does White project as more of a 3/4?

 

[Cusefan0307]

We definitely have a larger trend since the last years of the JB era where we are supposedly in the ring for higher end guys and seemingly settle for a lower rated recruit. It has been an issue with our recent prospects in the portal as well. People getting mad are just seeing this as part of that trend, not just criticizing the kid. It is hard to hear about other potential prospects looking elsewhere while we end up with a guy with no other P5 offers.

That being said, do we not already have our primary high end SF recruit in Sadiq White? Would this guy not just be a secondary recruit at a position where we already landed a quality recruit? I also wonder if that makes a guy like Shon Abev hesitate. Would he not rather commit to a place that has yet to land a high end SF recruit in their class? Does White project as more of a 3/4?

White is more of a 4. He hasn't shown much ability to score outside 12 feet as of yet.

 

[Ozone!]

 

[Orangezoo]

A lot of strong points around this kids game and the strategy.

I think there is a few more over arching things to look at.

1- every single program is putting together a new roster every off season.

2- You need talented HS kids and portal additions every year

3- You need solid roster/depth and developmental pieces who you can aim to be multi year kids to have something to work with as a baseline every off season when you build your roster.

This presents a challenge that even NBA GMs would struggle with- essentially a roster full of 1 yr contracts.

You look at Womack in 25 and then you see a kid whose been scouted and has potential, very much in the way a smaller school kid would make a name for himself and then transfer and you have a 2 yr guy most likely and hopefully more. It’s smart roster construction given the challenges and the fact you have to pay for the elite kids and transfers along with the guys you want to return and then find the talent that is a smart gamble to build the year in year out baseline.

Saddiq is a 4, Kiyan is a 2/3, Moore is a 2. Donnie is a 4/3 unless he adds weight and can play all 3 spots ( in the rare spot he returns). Petar a 5/4. Shon would be a clear 3 but if Chance can ball and comes back and then who knows with Bell. Either way that’s a lot of guys around the wing position so it certainly makes it even harder to know what the roster looks like given the moving parts.

It’s a tough job and now stack the fact that you are buying kids to come to Syracuse and competing with a lot of warmer and more esthetically pleasing options. The school sells itself as does the dome but in such an open market - it’s just not the same anymore.