Syracuse basketball transfer Jalen Carey has a list of seven strong squads
By Neil Adler
Former Syracuse basketball point guard Jalen Carey is taking his time with his decision, and he’s got seven solid teams under consideration.
Jalen Carey, a sophomore point guard who has elected to transfer from Syracuse basketball in search of more playing time, is weighing his options carefully, which is terrific. He’s also got a bunch of excellent squads in mind for his future home.
Per The Athletic’s Matthew Gutierrez, Carey is considering multiple Big East Conference members in Marquette, Creighton, Connecticut and Georgetown, as well as Alabama, BYU and Rhode Island.
That’s a fantastic list of contenders, and Carey can’t go wrong in choosing any of those crews. Hopefully, once he picks a group, the bevy of Orange fanatics will wish him well.
Carey’s tenure on the Hill didn’t go according to plan, but he proved an enthusiastic teammate as the 2019-20 campaign progressed. Unless he receives a waiver, or the NCAA passes its proposed transfer changes, which is unlikely, Carey would have to sit out a year before resuming official competition.
It’s certainly possible, given his list, that Carey could end up squaring off with another Syracuse transfer, freshman combo guard Brycen Goodine, who has moved on to another Big East unit, Providence.
As far as the Big East schools that Carey has in the running, Marquette of late has done a tremendous job of developing exquisite guards.
Creighton, which put forth a stellar 2019-20 in which it definitely could have advanced to the Final Four, has lofty aspirations in the upcoming term. The Bluejays will likely start 2020-21 ranked in the top 10 or top 15 of the pre-season polls.
UConn is expected to rejoin the Big East from the American Athletic Conference in 2020-21, and the Huskies are in store for a bright future.
Carey, when he went through his recruitment process a few stanzas ago, actually had the ‘Cuse and Connecticut as his two finalists. On the Huskies’ roster for 2020-21 is a pair of former Syracuse targets in Akok Akok and Andre Jackson.
Georgetown is, well, Georgetown. The vast majority of Syracuse fans hate on the Hoyas. I have lived in the Washington, D.C., region my entire adult life, so my dislike for Georgetown isn’t really there. Frankly, I’m rooting for head coach Patrick Ewing to succeed with the Hoyas.
Alabama is on an upward trajectory in the Southeastern Conference, and the Crimson Tide is currently guided by former Buffalo head coach Nate Oats.
BYU recorded a 24-8 mark in 2019-20, finishing in the top 20 of both major polls. The Cougars are a legit threat to Gonzaga’s long-time dominance in the West Coast Conference.
In a massive recruiting win, BYU landed center Matt Haarms, a highly coveted transfer from Purdue. The Orange coaching staff had reportedly communicated with Haarms at some point after he had announced that he would leave the Boilermakers.
Finally, Rhode Island is often in the upper tier of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams, at 21-9 overall, wrapped up 2019-20 in third place in that league.
A few tidbits to ponder here regarding the squads from which Carey is deciding. In mid-April, guard Tyrese Martin, a transfer from Rhode Island, selected UConn.
Secondly, guard Anthony Nelson, a Seton Hall transfer, has named a top five of BYU, Long Beach State, Manhattan, Oregon State and Rhode Island.
An April 27 tweet from Carey to Nelson is intriguing, whether Carey is serious or simply kidding around.
https://twitter.com/yungswae5/status/1254810009998970883
ESPN.com places Carey at No. 28 in its ratings of spring sit-out transfers. He’s got a really nice assemblage of alternatives, and whichever crew secures Carey is receiving a player who oozes with talent and potential.