Let’s start with this, there are no actual facts or reports that are leading to Frank Anselem transferring. However, everyone’s favorite Syracuse Basketball beat reporter, Mike Waters of syracuse.com, was asked if Anselem was coming back next season in his weekly “Mike’s Mailbox” column.
Plus, in a recent interview with ESPN’s Kewshawn, JWill & Zubin, Jim Boeheim said, “we had 11 or 12 players last year – we’ll only have nine players this year. We’ll have eight or nine.” Syracuse currently has ten players on the roster, which means Boeheim may be alluding to one more guy leaving. So, although it may not happen, let’s run with the hypothetical.
First, why would Anselem want to transfer? To put it simply, he isn’t going to see the court much at Syracuse this season. Bourama Sidibe is coming back and will most likely regain his starting center role as long as he is healthy. Right behind him is Jesse Edwards who came on strong at the end of last year and will play significant minutes next year. You could make an argument for Edwards to start and I would absolutely listen to it.
With all of that being said, Anselem is the odd man out. He is easily the third center on the depth chart and everyone knows Boeheim likes to keep a tight rotation. I don’t anticipate him going three-centers deep, especially because he has enough wings to run a small-ball lineup if Sidibe and Edwards get into foul trouble. So, from a minutes standpoint, it would make sense for Edwards to head for open waters.
Second, would Anselem find a suitor that makes sense? The NCAA transfer portal has been ridiculous to say the least this year. However, it may be starting to get too late to jump in the portal. Most people are already in there looking for new schools. On the flip side, most schools have already grabbed who they wanted or are in the midst of recruiting who they want. By tossing his name in the ring now, Anselem would be putting himself at a disadvantage. Some of the schools that may have wanted Anselem at the start, may not be in the market for a center anymore.
Ultimately, it would make sense if Anselem wanted to leave, however, I think he missed his window. At this point, he should cut his losses and stay with the Orange for another season. If he can’t work his way into the lineup, then he could transfer after next year.
