The Syracuse basketball program has landed another prized recruit with the commitment of four-star forward Donnie Freeman. The 6-foot-7 forward had narrowed his choices down to three schools, Syracuse, Texas, and Alabama, before ultimately committing to the Orange.
Freeman is ranked as the 69th best prospect in the 2022 class according to 247Sports, and is seen as a versatile forward who can score from all three levels. He averaged 13.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game during his junior season at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has had a strong recruiting class for the 2022 season, with Freeman becoming the fourth commitment for the Orange. Freeman joins fellow four-star recruits Justin Taylor, Kamari Lands, and J.J. Starling in what is a talented class for Syracuse.
Boeheim has been known to develop his players well, with players such as Carmelo Anthony, Hakim Warrick, and Michael Carter-Williams all being top NBA draft picks after successful careers at Syracuse.
Freeman chose Syracuse over Texas and Alabama, both of which are well-known basketball programs. Texas has a new head coach in former NBA All-Star and NBA champion Chris Beard, who had been making serious inroads into Freeman’s recruitment. Meanwhile, Alabama has turned into a formidable basketball program under head coach Nate Oats, who has transformed the Crimson Tide into an NCAA Tournament contender in just a few short years.
Despite the competition, Freeman saw the best fit for himself at Syracuse, which has a strong tradition of producing successful NBA players. He’s also a great fit for the Syracuse zone defense, as he’s long and athletic enough to play on the wing, which is the prototype for an effective Syracuse-born talent.
Syracuse has had a solid start to the season, with a 7-2 record heading into conference play. As the Orange enters what has been a difficult ACC conference in recent years, it will need its young talent to step up in order to compete with the likes of Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia.
With four talented recruits already committed for next season, Syracuse looks to be in great shape moving forward. Jim Boeheim will have an abundance of young talent at his disposal, which bodes well for the future of the Syracuse basketball program.
