Syracuse Basketball: Robert Braswell commitment provides pivotal depth

The Syracuse basketball squad got some encouraging news over the weekend, as promising 2018 power forward Robert Braswell pledged his services to SU.

The Orange hoops program just got a juicy boost for its 2018 class.

Robert Braswell, an intriguing yet under-the-radar power forward, has committed to the ‘Cuse and will suit up beginning with the 2018-19 campaign.

Kudos to recruiting analyst Evan Daniels of 247Sports, who first broke the news on Sunday evening.

The 6-9 Braswell, a three-star prospect in the 2018 class, is out of Blythewood High in Blythewood, S.C. He made a visit to Central New York about a week ago, with Syracuse among his three finalists, along with Massachusetts and Oklahoma State.

Braswell appears as a late-bloomer in his class, as he’s not rated by some of the recruiting services. Nationally, 247Sports slots him as 170^th in the 2018 class. Honestly, as I’ve said before on many occasions, these rankings are pretty fickle, and I wouldn’t necessarily take too much stock in them.

Head coach Jim Boeheim and his assistants seem excited about Braswell, and for good reason. Check out some excerpts from a “scout’s take” by Daniels in his article on Sunday night:

"“Braswell has good size for a versatile power forward and he’s also equipped with long arms, impressive athleticism and a unique skill set. At this point, he’s very thin and that limits him from playing physical, but there are quite a few impressive tools at his disposal. Braswell is fluid and runs the court with ease. He’s quick off his feet, a good leaper and reacts quickly to plays.Offensively, Braswell showed very good hands and impressive touch. Braswell plays facing the rim and has the ability to stretch the floor with his jump shot. He has very good shot mechanics and range that extends out to 23-feet. If it weren’t for his lack of weight and strength, Braswell would have likely had quite a few more high major scholarship offers. There’s a lot of potential here and if you’re going to take a player late in the spring, this type of prospect with upside is a good one to gamble on.”"

So, while Braswell isn’t a five-star, blue-chip prospect who had offers from the likes of Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina, this talented dude has plenty to contribute to SU.

This is particularly critical following the decisions by Darius Bazley to head to the NBA’s G League

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and Matthew Moyer to transfer to Vanderbilt. Those revelations left only rising sophomores Oshae Brissett and Marek Dolezaj as true power forwards on the roster for 2018-19.

As such, Braswell’s commitment is paramount in giving JB & Co. another option at the forward spot within the team’s vaunted 2-3 zone. Furthermore, it’s a refreshing positive development, given the defections of Bazley and Moyer, along with the recent announcement by another 2018 power forward, Bryce Golden, that he would attend Butler rather than Syracuse (or two other universities).

With Braswell on board, the Orange still has two scholarships left for 2018-19, if I’m doing my math correctly. And don’t forget that rising junior Tyus Battle may opt to stay in the NBA Draft, which would open up an additional schollie.

It’s not clear to me if the SU coaches are going after anyone in the graduate-transfer market, however, Osun Osunniyi, a 6-10 center in the 2018 class, checked out the Hill on May 10, according to various published reports.

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We’ve absolutely gained momentum due to Braswell committing, and, should Osunniyi also pledge to the ‘Cuse, our 2018 class would receive an even greater enhancement!