Syracuse Basketball: 2 more Orange guards are jumping into transfer portal

The dominos are falling for Syracuse basketball, with two more players entering the transfer portal. Here’s a full analysis of the scholarship situation.

Even before the 2019-20 campaign came to an abrupt halt for Syracuse basketball and all of collegiate hoops due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, I had an inkling that we might witness one or more Orange players move on in the off-season.

Freshman guard Brycen Goodine, a former top-100 recruit as rated by ESPN.com, jump-started the ‘Cuse roster conversation on Friday when he took to Twitter to say that he will “seek out a new beginning.”

Then, on Saturday, Adam Zagoria tweeted out that, in addition to Goodine, sophomore guard Jalen Carey and junior guard Howard Washington are transferring from Syracuse.

Wow.

There’s also some Internet chatter involving the possibility of sophomore forward Robert Braswell, who redshirted during the 2019-20 term, departing the Hill. But I don’t want to speculate too much on this.

First and foremost, let’s wish Goodine, Carey, and Washington nothing but the best. I’m hopeful that they all succeed wherever they land.

Given that the Orange’s starting-guard duo, freshman Joe Girard III and sophomore Buddy Boeheim, could certainly comprise two more stanzas together, it’s not an overly big shocker that Goodine, Carey, and Washington are bolting, particularly because head coach Jim Boeheim is known for often utilizing a short rotation.

As it presently stands, the ‘Cuse will have three guards within its line-up when next fall arrives. Girard, Buddy Boeheim, and incoming freshman Kadary Richmond.

Let’s dissect the Syracuse schollie circumstances. The Orange had 13 scholarship guys in 2019-20. Taking away graduate student Shaun Belbey, Goodine, Carey, and Washington brings us to nine.

Redshirt junior forward Elijah Hughes is likely bound for the pros, but it’s not a guarantee. If he does go, the ‘Cuse is at eight. New recruits Richmond and power forward Woody Newton elevate Syracuse to 10, with the make-up entailing a trio each of guards and centers, and a quartet of forwards, including Braswell.

The Orange is also seemingly in contention for a pair of graduate transfers in forward Seth Towns of Harvard and power forward/center Patrick Tape of Columbia. It’s anybody’s guess whether the transfer developments of the past day or so will help or hurt the chances of the ‘Cuse gaining commitments from either Towns, Tape – or both.

What does appear clear, though, is that the Syracuse cast will look a lot different in a few months’ time.