As the transfer portal chaos continues, three members of the Orange family who announced their intention to leave Syracuse this season have committed to new schools over the past couple of days. It’s always interesting to see what kind of schools go after and get these former SU players. It can be a good measuring stick of what other coaches think about last years team.
Peter Carey Commits to Siena
The first player to announce his decision was the redshirt freshman center who didn’t see much time. Peter Carey announced his commitment to Gerry McNamara and Siena. It isn’t too surprising to see a SU player follow McNamara to his new job however it should be noted how big of a drop in competition this is. Even though he had to sit his true freshman year, Carey did have excitement around him and people believed he could compete at the highest level. It’ll be interesting to see how he does against worse competition.
Benny Williams Commits to UCF
The long windy road of Syracuse and Benny Williams has finally come to an end. The former five-star announced he is trading in the snow for the sunshine and committing to the University of Central Florida. Williams is the only outgoing transfer so far to commit to another Power Five team. UCF joined the Big12 last season but really struggled, finishing in 12th place. Williams will always have the potential to be a great player in college basketball and has a chance to prove himself with fewer expectations in Orlando. The Knights have made the tournament just once since 2005.
Justin Taylor Commits to James Madison
The only one of Syracuse’s starters from this season to commit to a new school so far is the most controversial one. It’s not a question that the sophomore struggled mightily this season. Fans continued to call for him to be taken out of the starting lineup. Taylor’s new school, like Peter Carey is a big step down from Syracuse. While it did win an NCAA tournament game this season, James Madison is in the Sun Belt which wasn’t even a top-15 conference in college basketball this season. Taylor will have the chance to thrive though, playing against worse competition and competing close to home.
