SU is coming off a massive blowout win over Oakland on Tuesday night, where the Orange took down the Golden Grizzlies 95-66. There were a lot of positives to take away, and some negatives, but one main thing that comes to mind is that everyone comes to the same conclusions after every game. It’s an analysis of Joe Girard III, good or bad. A lot of praise for Jesse Edwards, and then small tidbits of information about how the freshman and Benny Williams played unless someone was on one extreme end of the spectrum.
So, let’s take this from a different angle, and analyze how Syracuse’s mediocre beginning has an effect on its future, or lack thereof when it comes to recruiting. Jim Boeheim made a lot of comments about the transfer portal last week on ESPN Syracuse, referring to it as a money grab and a free-for-all. That’s why the Orange’s only activity in the portal last offseason was to acquire a backup center, Mounir Hima, from Duquesne.
Maybe this offseason it will be different, considering SU’s lack of commitments in future classes, and take advantage of Adam Weitsman’s $1 million offer. Or, maybe Boeheim and his assistants will get on the road at the end of the season and land an impact recruit or two. But, the class of 2023 is winding down, and a lot of prospects are off the board. Yes, Judah Mintz did not commit until the spring, but the Orange were recruiting him hard since the fall and there has been no buzz whatsoever about SU recruiting right now.
Boeheim’s age and pending retirement are being used against him by other teams, that is certain, but maybe this lack of recruiting is either a clue to the confidence of the coaching staff that their roster will be extremely similar next season, and they won’t lose anyone to the portal. But that is unlikely, you’ll always lose guys to the portal, or even the draft in Mintz’s case.
So, Syracuse’s 5-4 start is just the status quo when it comes to this program. Last season, the Orange did not have a good nonconference slate and this year scaled back on the opponents they played and are still struggling against some mid-majors. SU has three more games against non-ACC foes, all of which it should win, and if it does not, that’s cause for major concern.
Looking at 247 Sports and going back to 2023 recruiting, the Orange have given out over a dozen offers, but a lot of them have chosen other schools or the professional route. Only three SU potential targets are players who have not decided on their next destination, but when has there been any connection between Syracuse and William Patterson or Isaiah Miranda?
2024 is a little bit better, where the likes of Elliot Cadeau and Elijah Moore have been mentioned in the same breath as the Orange, but nothing substantial. Kiyan Anthony got a scholarship offer when he visited with his father Carmelo (you might have heard of him before), but he’s in the class of 2025, three years away from being on a college campus. So, maybe this is all a front because Syracuse is ready to enact Boeheim’s “ironclad” retirement plan that he mentioned last year, but both he and John Wildhack have declined to comment on it. Or, it’s just a sign of the times and SU’s lack of NIL awareness and potential for players is jarring, and not up to the standards of a power-five program.
Therefore, Syracuse’s 5-4 start is just more of the same as what this program has experienced for the last half-decade, and why recruiting is what it is. It’s looking more and more like 2022 was an outlier, and not the push forward back to the late 2000s and early 2010s that everyone hoped for, and that’s a shame for SU fans and those who support this program.
