Chris Bell is a player that most Syracuse fans don’t want to think about right now.
After a breakout sophomore season in which Bell averaged 12 points per game while shooting 42% from deep, helping the Orange to a 20-win campaign where they narrowly missed out on March Madness, Syracuse fans felt that Bell was in for an even better season this year.
That wasn’t the case, as Bell regressed significantly from deep, making just 35% of his triples this year. He was one of the most disappointing players on a Syracuse team that struggled en route to one of the worst seasons in program history, and a few weeks ago, Bell announced that he would be entering the transfer portal.
At first glance, it might seem ridiculous to think about bringing him back. If a player enters the transfer portal, it seems very unlikely they’d consider coming back. And yet, anything is possible with the new college basketball landscape transformed by the introduction of NIL.
Take Meechie Johnson as an example. Johnson started his college career with the Ohio State Buckeyes for two seasons before transferring to the South Carolina Gamecocks, where he was until this year. This season, Johnson transferred back to Ohio State, but only played in 10 games and entered the transfer portal again.
A week ago, Johnson committed to the Gamecocks, proving that anything is possible in the new world of NIL.
While Bell can’t take the same path as Johnson since he only has one year of eligibility left, there’s no reason why he can’t return to Syracuse now. After a mass exodus of players in the portal, the Orange have plenty of scholarships to offer Bell, and could desperately use someone with his skill set.
Even after a down year, Bell’s shot-making would provide some much-needed spacing for Syracuse’s offense, which struggled last year without much of a perimeter threat. Outside of adding sharpshooter Nate Kingz in the transfer portal, the Orange don’t have anyone who can shoot the ball like Bell.
Bell would also provide some size for Syracuse, which is still without a true big man after the departure of Eddie Lampkin. He would be undersized at the five, but he’s just a year removed from averaging half a block and a steal per game, so his defensive tools could help mask some of the struggles the Orange might have in the paint.
It might be awkward at first for Bell to come back, but Syracuse could use someone with his skill set, and it would give Bell a chance to help redeem himself in the eyes of Syracuse fans with the Orange looking to contend next year.
