The Orange landed another transfer portal target this week, as former Georgia Tech guard Lucas Taylor committed to Syraucse. Taylor is SU’s 11th scholarship player for the 2024-25 season, so there are two more available.
While it’s possible those spots remain vacant, there are a few spots that Syracuse could use help.
Point guard options
Replacing a second-team All-ACC player like Judah Mintz was never going to be an easy task. But Hofstra transfer Jaquan Carlos seems to be a good first step. The guard is an elite passer, and should be surrounded by some elite scorers (such as Chris Bell, JJ Starling and Donnie Freeman). But, he’s unproven at the Power Five level.
Additionally, if you look past Carlos, it’s a bunch of question marks. Kyle Cuffe has yet to maintain consistent minutes in the biggest games. And Chance Westry hasn’t seen actual game time in over a year.
Adding another point guard, to either back up Carlos or compete for the starting role, would improve a backcourt that is stacked with strong shooting guards. Having a competent floor general is imperative for the Orange getting back to the NCAA tournament.
Depth in the frontcourt
The Orange’s current crop of wings and forwards looks very promising. The problem: it’s a pretty small group of guys.
Chris Bell showed last year he can be lockdown from beyond the arc and has playmaking abilities at the three.
Then there’s two newcomers. Jyare Davis averaged 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds for Delaware last year. At 6-7, he should be able to be a dominant force at the four for SU. He’s joined by five-star recruit Donnie Freeman. The power forward has jumped up recruiting rankings, and should be a potent player.
But, beyond those three, the Orange don’t have many forwards to rely on. Some depth would be nice.
Extra help at center
Former Colorado center Eddie Lampkin was probably the biggest portal get for Syracuse this offseason. Lampkin is a proven scorer and rebounder at the Power Five level.
He’s backed up by 7-4 Naheem McLeod. The Philadelphia native showed promise at times last year, but often struggled with getting rebounds (especially considering his size) and battled injury.
As for centers, that’s it. Injury or underperformance could move the Orange down to one or zero true centers available. Adding one more viable option could be huge.
