Syracuse Basketball: ‘Cuse starting ‘to be really active’ with 5-star big man

About a year ago at the Orange’s annual Elite Camp, Syracuse basketball coaches made their first scholarship offer to a high-school prospect in the rising-junior cycle, and that player is 2024 five-star big man Donnie Freeman.

By all accounts, according to a variety of media reports in recent months, the Orange is prioritizing the 6-foot-9 power forward, who recently helped lead his AAU squad to a runner-up finish in the main division of this summer’s Peach Jam tournament in North Augusta, S.C., on Nike’s EYBL circuit.

In the Peach Jam championship contest, the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover lost a heart-breaker to the Overland Park, Kan.-based MoKan Elite, 53-52.

Freeman plays up on the Team Takeover 17 and under group, despite him being a member of the 2024 recruiting class. He also attends St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C.

Syracuse basketball, early on, is among the teams recruiting five-star Donnie Freeman the hardest.

College coaches could begin reaching out directly to 2024 prospects on June 15, and Freeman has been hearing in a consistent manner from the ‘Cuse coaching staff, among many other suitors.

In a recent interview with On3 national analyst Jamie Shaw, the Orange was listed as among the squads presently communicating with Freeman the most frequently, along with Georgetown and Alabama.

In a separate recent interview with Bryce Kelly on si.com, Freeman said that some of the suitors currently most active in his recruiting process include Rutgers, Georgetown, Maryland and Texas.

According to recruiting services and his Twitter page, Freeman recently landed a scholarship offer from Iowa. His offer sheet, beyond Syracuse basketball and Iowa, features Texas, Rutgers, Marquette, Bryant, Ole Miss, VCU, Norfolk State, Alabama, Maryland, Georgetown, Virginia Tech, Xavier, George Mason and Old Dominion.

Freeman told Shaw that other schools which may be close to offering him are Louisville, LSU and Penn State.

"He added as part of his interview with On3, “I want to play for a player’s coach, someone who really cares for his players. … I want to go to a program that has a rich history of getting players to the league (the NBA).”"

Not too long ago, we noted that Freeman said via Twitter he is eyeing an official visit to the Hill in the “near future,” so we’ll certainly continue to monitor if and when that development transpires.