Syracuse Basketball: Former 4-star recruit Arthur Kaluma to enter portal

Arthur Kaluma, a sophomore forward at Big East Conference member Creighton who was previously pursued by Syracuse basketball, plans to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal, according to multiple reports, including a tweet from 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham.

The 6-foot-7 Kaluma, who is from Glendale, Ariz., said via Twitter in late April that he would test the 2023 NBA Draft waters.

Per a release from the NBA on May 9, Kaluma is expected to attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled to take place from May 15 to May 21 in Chicago.

Branham said in his tweet that “Kaluma is going through the 2023 NBA Draft process and his focus remains on the NBA and won’t make any decisions until well after the Combine.”

The Orange offered a scholarship to Arthur Kaluma in April of 2020. He originally committed to UNLV in November of 2020 after having the ‘Cuse in his top eight.

Former Syracuse basketball recruit Arthur Kaluma is entering the transfer portal.

Following a head-coaching change at UNLV, Kaluma received a release from his commitment to the Rebels and reopened his recruitment. Orange coaches pursued him yet again, and Kaluma put the ‘Cuse in his top five, along with Creighton, Arizona, Mike Hopkins-led Washington and Western Kentucky.

In May of 2021, he committed to the Bluejays. Arthur Kaluma has played two seasons at Creighton. In the 2022-23 term, as a sophomore, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while connecting on 42.3 percent from the field, 31.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.6 percent from the free-throw line.

This past season, the Bluejays went 24-13 overall, advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed, and were ranked No. 12 in the final Coaches top-25 poll.

As a senior at Dream City Christian School in Glendale, the four-star Arthur Kaluma was rated by multiple recruiting services as a top-50 national prospect and a top-15 power forward in the 2021 class.

Looking ahead to the 2023-24 stanza for Syracuse basketball, the Orange does have several forwards on its roster, including sophomore Benny Williams, freshman Maliq Brown and freshman Chris Bell.

Additionally, freshmen Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland can suit up at both guard and small forward on the wing.

I was super high on Arthur Kaluma when the ‘Cuse was recruiting him in high school. It remains to be seen whether he will stay in the 2023 NBA Draft, but if he elects to return to college basketball for his junior year, Kaluma will certainly attract a ton of suitors.