We’re months away from a highly anticipated season of Syracuse men’s basketball next year, but some of the incoming players for next season are already making big waves in the news.
Luke Fennell, who committed to SU last October and will be a freshman on next year’s team, was selected as a member of Australia’s national team for the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup, which will be held from June 28 to July 6 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Fennell, a 6-foot-6 combo guard, played for South East Melbourne in Australia’s NBL this past season and has been a part of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, its junior developmental program.
Fennell already has plenty of international experience, having won a gold medal last year with Australia in the U20 Albert Schweitzer Games in Germany and helping Australia win the 2024 Asia Cup.
In this summer’s World Cup, Fennell and Australia will open the tournament against the United States, looking to advance to its first quarterfinals since 2015. Regardless of how far Australia advances in the tournament, the extra reps for Fennell against some of the other top prospects in the world should only help his development before coming to Syracuse.
Along with three other prospects in next year’s recruiting class, including Syracuse legend Carmelo Anthony’s son, Kiyan, Fennell will look to help the Orange rebound from a disastrous season where SU finished 14-19 while getting bounced in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
