It’s no secret that these last few weeks haven’t been the best Syracuse basketball has seen. After the Orange notably lost Robert Braswell and Kadary Richmond to the transfer portal, they hit the market themselves. SU nabbed both Symir Torrence and Cole Swider in an effort to start plugging the holes in a seemingly sinking ship. Those two won’t solve SU’s problems however, here’s who else Coach Boeheim and his staff should target:
Patrick Tape – Center
This is a name you may be familiar with. Tape played three seasons at Columbia before making the decision to transfer on March 1st, 2020. On March 24th of that year, Tape committed to Duke. It seemed that Coach K added another star until April 2nd when the Charlotte, NC native decommitted from the Blue Devils and looked like he might make a move across the ACC and up to the Salt City. Three members of 247sports.com picked Tape to make the move to SU, he then spurned the Orange and went with his original decision to go play for Coach K. The Orange have a second shot at the big man, a guy who could really prove useful for Syracuse, especially with the current uncertainty of the zone’s anchor.
Tre Mitchell – Center
Another big man, Tre Mitchell played an exceptional freshman season for UMass and an injury ridden one this season. He’s a talented big that can score, rebound and defend the rim. Sure, the A-10 doesn’t exactly have competition comparable to what he’d see in the ACC, but a talented player at center for Syracuse would go a long way regardless. In terms of interest, Syracuse offered Mitchell back in 2019, we’ll see if Boeheim and company revisit the Pittsburgh native.
Tyon Grant-Foster – Guard
Syracuse lost a long guard in Kadary Richmond. If the Orange picked up Grant-Foster from Kansas, that’s exactly what they’d be getting. That’s not to say they are similar when it comes to their level of play, but if Syracuse needs a guy to stick at the top of the zone capable of providing length and athleticism, this wouldn’t be a bad idea. Grant-Foster is 6-7 190 lbs, a perfect frame to throw at the top of the 2-3 zone.
Syracuse has plenty of options, it‚Äôs just about going after and getting these guys. There are too many talented bigs out there for Syracuse to not get one. It would be inexcusable if Syracuse started the 2021-22 season without a new center. It’s time for the SU coaching staff to start viewing this as if it’s free agency, and build a team that can compete, because right not Syracuse basketball isn’t in the greatest of spots.
