The transfer portal is officially closed, but Syracuse isn’t done adding yet.
The portal closed on Tuesday, but players can commit to a new school any time before classes start, and it seems like the Orange will take advantage of that extended deadline. Yesterday, Syracuse hosted Monmouth forward Jaret Valencia, one of the best remaining players in the transfer portal.
Valencia, who has two years of eligibility remaining, only started 13 of the 27 games he suited up in this year while playing through an injury. Despite the injury, Valencia was still a solid contributor for the Hawks this season, averaging 6.7 points and 4.1 rebounds in just 22.9 minutes per game.
While those are encouraging numbers, it’s likely that the Orange are hoping more for the level of production Valencia had during his rookie season, where he earned All-CAA defensive honors and made the All-CAA rookie team. He averaged 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds that year while starting 32 of the 33 games he played in, and led the team in blocks with 55.
If Syracuse can get Valencia to commit, one of the biggest x-factors for how much he’ll be able to contribute is his three-point shooting. Valencia shot 41.3% from deep in his rookie season, but regressed to 34.1% last year. If he can be an effective floor spacer, he should be able to carve out a role more easily on a Syracuse team that was one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country.
Even if the shot doesn’t translate, Valencia fits the type of player the Orange have targeted in the portal this year. He should provide size at the forward position, and is the type of athletic, excellent defender Syracuse seems to be looking for.
Syracuse currently has 11 players on its projected 2025-26 roster, and having Valencia visit the day the portal closes shows the Orange aren’t satisfied with that roster. Considering last year’s struggles, it’s good to see Syracuse exploring all possible options to improve its roster.
