Syracuse’s 2024 recruiting class is taking shape, and it has the makings of being a good first step in Adrian Autry’s tenure as head coach. Donnie Freeman, a four star forward from Washington, D.C. has committed to the Orange.
Freeman, who is listed at 6’9 190 pounds, is the 40th overall prospect among high school juniors according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. The four star recruit is the seventh best power forward in the class. He describes shooting and ball handling as his main focuses to get better, which means he wants to be more of a Benny Williams-type than Maliq Brown
There wasn’t a long list of suitors for Freeman, but the competition for Syracuse was formidable. Alabama was reportedly his second option, with Texas and Iowa showing interest as well.
Freeman joins Elijah Moore, a four star guard, in SU’s 2024 class. Moore is 104th in the country according to 247’s composite rankings and 15th among shooting guards. Some outlets have him as high as the top 75 in the class.
It’s an exciting time for Syracuse fans not just because the Orange already have two significant commitments that should bolster the roster a year from now, but also because Autry’s strategy is taking shape. As an assistant, he was the lead recruiter in the DMV and played a major role in Benny Williams and Judah Mintz, two of Syracuse’s highest rated prospects in a decade, choosing the Orange.
Autry doubled down on that strategy by hiring Brenden Straughn to fill the gap left on the staff by Jim Boeheim retiring and the three assistants all moving up a seat on the bench. Straughn was an assistant at George Washington, but, more importantly, previously coached Team Takeover, the premier AAU program in the DMV which Freeman plays for.
Even in the NIL era, connections matter in recruiting. Boeheim had New York City, where he built a pipeline for decades. Now, that pipeline has moved south.
Getting Freeman and adding to a class that already had a high end prospect is fantastic. But, this commitment doesn’t only exist in a vacuum. It creates momentum for Syracuse in a hotbed of talent. Recruiting can have a domino effect, both within a class and an area. Maybe, things are starting to fall the Orange’s way.
