It’s been well-documented that Syracuse has a number of holes that need to be filled by transfers. There’s one player who just put is name in the portal that would fill a number of SU’s needs and would be a perfect fit. Malik Mack, the Ivy League Rookie of the Year, is the true point guard that Orange fans have been asking for. The 6’1 freshman averaged 17.2 points per game and 4.8 assists per game with Harvard this season. He had one of his best games of the season on the road against Indiana when he dropped 27 points. In Mack’s other game against a power five team, he scored 18 against Boston College also accumulating six assists and five rebounds.
Malik Mack’s skillset is what the Orange are missing. He has the ability to create for himself and his teammates. His 4.8 assists per game this year would be the most for a Syracuse player since John Gillon averaged 5.4 in 2016-17. Mack did that while leading the Crimson in scoring. Unlike JJ Starling and Judah Mintz who get most of their work done around the rim, only 31% of Mack’s FGA’s came right near the hoop.
The freshman has the ability to shoot three-pointers constantly. Three-point shooting could be the biggest weakness in Mack’s game yet he still was 34% from deep which would have made him the 2nd best shooter on the team behind Chris Bell.
But could he actually come to Syracuse? Everything points to the answer being yes. Mack has a strong connection to the Orange, coming from the DMV. It’s important to note that recruiting in the DC area can be very complicated and SU doesn’t have relationships with every high school and AAU program. But, it does have a great relationship with Mack’s high school. The point guard went to St. Johns College High School. That’s where Donnie Freeman went before transferring to IMG Academy. Syracuse and St. Johns have a relationship that extends beyond Freeman, with men’s lacrosse, field hockey, and football players at SU all coming from the DC powerhouse.
Mack is exactly what Syracuse needs on the court and with the connection to the program off the court, he is the perfect fit for the Orange. It won’t be easy to bring the transfer in as a lot of programs will be vying for the talented guard. Georgetown and Maryland are both teams that are expected to be heavily recruiting Mack.
