For the first time in the Adrian Autry era, Syracuse basketball has landed a five-star recruit. Sadiq White, a highly touted power forward in the class of 2025, committed to the Orange last week with plenty of buzz surrounding the decision. We won’t get to see White lace up his sneakers for over a year, but how is a player like White going to look in an Adrian Autry system?
Well for starters, we need to analyze what kind of player White is. White measures in at 6-foot-8 and 180 pounds, which is relatively light for a frontcourt player. Despite his size, the North Carolina native has
“White is one of the most explosive athletes in the national class,” said Adam Finkelstein, director of scouting for 247 Sports. “He is not yet a consistent shooting threat from the perimeter and can get inefficient when trying to prove otherwise or settling for low percentage face-up shots. What the lefty does have is an advanced right hand, an expanding ability to get downhill, and play through contact. There are even some occasional signs of a passing instinct.”
So essentially, White classifies as an explosive forward with a strong ability to get to the basket. Where does that fit in the current makeup of the Orange? There’ll be a lot of roster turnover from then to now, especially with the arrivals of 2024 top prospects Donnie Freeman and Elijah Moore. As it currently stands, a strong pairing would be White and Chris Bell in the frontcourt.
Throughout the 2023-24 campaign, Autry showed his tendency to play “small ball,” much of which was due to Naheem McLeod’s injury. A similar type of system could be run in 2025, with Bell playing the power forward position and White at the five, which he currently plays in high school. Bell, who will be a senior in 2025, is a pure spot-up shooter, who could certainly benefit from a player like White driving to the rim and drawing defenders. Pair that with the strong ball-handling ability of Elijah Moore, and that lineup could do some damage.
Adrian Autry will have a lot of variety to work within the 2025 campaign, and possibly even more with the recent rumors about Kiyan Anthony, another top prospect in the class of 2025. White, in an article published to syracuse.com, said that he would love to play with Anthony.
“That’s the goal,” White said. “Get my guy Kiyan on the ship and let’s take this thing and bring Syracuse another ‘chip.’’
Sadiq White’s commitment to Syracuse has dawned a new era for SU basketball, as the program aims to return to its once pedestal in the college athletics world as a powerhouse. As next season inches closer and closer, Adrian Autry will have plenty of talent to work with through his sophomore season and beyond, and hopefully White will become a name for many Orange fans to know and love.
