In the past several days, Syracuse has seen the departures of Chris Bell, Elijah Moore, Kyle Cuffe Jr., and Chance Westry all of whom have entered the transfer portal. With the offseason just getting underway for the Orange and March Madness still ongoing, does this early turbulence stem from the results of this past SU season?
The Orange finished the year with a 14-19 record, including a 7-13 in ACC play. Syracuse has continued to underperform, failing to make the NCAA Tournament since 2021. Much of that can be attributed to the coaching changes, from long-time head coach Jim Boeheim to the transition phase under Adrian Autry, with recruiting efforts now underway for the former SU player.
Syracuse is still in the process of adjusting to Boeheim’s absence–not necessarily on the court, but off the court. Boeheim carried a certain standard and prestige year in and year out, and basketball fans expected Syracuse to be in the mix every year. However, that sense of expectation is still missing with Coach Autry.
Commitments from Kiyan Anthony, Sadiq White, and others for next season show some stability, suggesting that Autry can be a legitimate recruiter. However, that needs to translate onto the court. In regards to why three Syracuse players have already chosen to leave likely comes from last year’s struggles and attitude, along with likely some of the fresh talent coming in.
Or perhaps it’s simply a change of scenery for Chris Bell, who was one of the 2023-24 season’s best three-point shooters in the ACC.
No matter how fans choose to view these changes, one thing is for certain: there is no clear direction that Syracuse basketball is trending towards. Yes, the talent is expected supposedly improve next year. However, fans believe that the recruits will magically turn Syracuse into a March Madness team.
That remains to be seen.
