Chance Westry hasn’t played a game of college basketball in over a year. Now, according to On3’s Joe Tipton, he’s finally cleared to play again.
Westry’s career has taken some wild turns so far. He was a top-40 recruit in the class of 2022 in most rankings. Westry, a combo guard, is originally from Pennsylvania, but went to Compass Prep in Arizona. He was recruited by several schools, including Syracuse, but picked Auburn.
The injury bug first struck Chance Westry before he stepped on the court as a Tiger. He got hurt during fall practices, and had to go through arthroscopic knee surgery. Still, Westry only missed the first two games of the season. However, he didn’t dominate right away. Westry played in 11 games, and averaged 2.5 points in nine minutes per contest.
After a down freshman year, at least by a four-star recruit’s standards, Westry transferred to Syracuse. That’s when he got even more unlucky, picking up another preseason lower-body injury. Although there was a chance he could play again later in the season, Orange head coach Adrian Autry was cautious.
“One thing in these situations is I always err on the side of caution,” Autry said in December via syracuse.com. “He has eligibility left. I don’t want him to rush back and something happens. So take your time and we’ll see what it is. He understands. Nothing definitive. Not even hopeful. No timeline right now.”
Now, there is a timeline. Chance Westry is healthy and cleared to practice headed into the fall, which is a good indicator that he’ll be ready to play come November. The remaining question: how good will Westry be? He clearly has talent, but two years into his college career, he still hasn’t had success on the court. Plus, SU has a loaded backcourt. JJ Starling, Chris Bell, and Kyle Cuffe are returning. Jaquan Carlos and Lucas Taylor transferred in. Plus, Elijah Moore is another incoming four-star recruit.
Chance Westry could be great for Syracuse. He’s gotten healthy. Now, he has the chance to prove himself.
