Syracuse basketball is certainly in a pickle heading into 2025-26. After another season of disappointment and a lot of fans clamoring for a change behind the bench, this fall is pivotal for the state of the program. Adrian Autry and company have already made a splash this offseason in the transfer portal, but the results on the floor are going to come down to arguably the biggest thing: the recruiting class.
In his newest rankings earlier today, Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com released his top 25 recruiting classes for 2025, and Syracuse slots in as 14th on the list, alongside four other ACC schools. The Orange slid down two spots from the previous rankings back in January, but holds a consistent spot among the nation’s elite.
Borzello writes, “Syracuse was one of the first to strike in the 2025 class, landing White, a talented forward from North Carolina last spring. He’s a terrific athlete and will either replace current freshman Donnie Freeman or play alongside him in one of the most explosive frontcourts in the country. But the commitment that pushed the Orange into the top 15 was Kiyan Anthony (No. 35), son of Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony. Anthony is an elite scorer with supreme confidence and unlimited range on his jumper. Red Autry is also bringing in a pair of wings in four-star Australia native Luke Fennel and three-star Aaron Womack from Milwaukee.”
Looking at this assessment, it’s clear that Syracuse is bringing in a respected load of talent according to the national media. It’s also very apparent that the Orange entered 2025 with a quality over quantity mindset with the class it has settled with. Only four players being brought in might be the new norm, but there’s a part of the fanbase that would say, Why not do more and bump this ranking up even higher?
All the pieces are finally aligning, and it seems like the 2025 roster is set for Syracuse basketball, so now it just comes down to whether these prospects can develop into what they are expected to be, and if Adrian Autry can do enough to keep his job this time next year.
