It’s been a whirlwind last 48 hours for Syracuse basketball.
After the Orange lost 86-69 to SMU in the 1st round of the ACC Tournament, their sixth straight loss, they began to clean house.
Adrian Autry and his entire staff was let go, a new athletic director (Brain Blair, former Toledo AD) was hired, and a coaching search began.
While SU’s current focus is on the coach, what about this roster? The transfer portal opens April 6, and the ‘Cuse doesn’t have a single high school commit yet for the 2026/27 season.
The Starting Five
Syracuse may end up needing an entirely new starting five next season, similar to last year’s offseason.
Although star forward Donnie Freeman didn’t have the best year, he still projects as a late first round or early second round pick in the NBA Draft. His size and ability to shoot the three ball makes him an interesting flyer despite the flaws against other traditional “Stretch 4” big men.
JJ Starling is out of eligibility. 2025/26, his senior season, was the worst of his career points wise with just 10.9 PPG.
Naithan George has one year left of eligibility. He didn’t have the strongest debut year with the Orange but could end up staying now that Starling has left. He could be the undoubted lead guard next season. Once again, it comes back to who is at the helm.
Nate Kingz, who is on record saying he is open to a return to Syracuse, is optimistic he can get a 5th year waiver from the NCAA. He was the Orange’s most consistent player all season, being a key defender and facilitator despite the rocky year from behind the arc.
William Kyle is also out of eligibility after three seasons with UCLA and one at Syracuse.
The Bench
Reports suggest that SU hoops legend Carmelo Anthony is helping make the head coach decision; will this help the chances of Kiyan Anthony sticking with the ‘Cuse instead of flocking elsewhere for more money? The tru freshman showed promise but needs more time before being ready for the NBA.
Sadiq White projects a similar situation, his growth came later in the year than expected from the IMG Academy product. If he does end up staying, he could be looking at a starting role next season.
Co-sophomores Tyler Betsey and Ibrahim Souare must feel out their new coach before deciding to stay or go. Both players are heavily scheme dependent and need to weigh NIL options and team fit before immediately coming back to SU.
After a head coach is announced, players will begin to make their decisions. This Syracuse team shouldn’t have many NBA Draft picks, so most of the losses from the roster will be from the transfer portal. New AD Blair seems ready to weaponize NIL money, so Orange fans should take solace in the fact that losses from this 25/26 squad will be replaced.
