Analyst praises new Syracuse basketball center from Mali for strong performance this week

Earlier this month, Syracuse basketball received a commitment from 2026 international center Abdramane Siby, a 19-year-old who is originally from Mali.

Understandably, many Orange fans don't know much about the 7-foot Siby, who has a 7-foot-6 wingspan, boasts a lot of solid defensive instincts and has huge future upside, according to analysts who track the international hoops scene.

Siby, in the 2025-26 season, has been playing for Mega Superbet, a pro club in Belgrade, Serbia, that is part of the Adriatic Basketball Association. Earlier this week, he turned in a strong outing, according to noted international basketball expert Jonathan Givony, the founder of DraftExpress.

Givony said in a post on X that Siby, in a win for Mega Superbet, had his "best game" of the 2025-26 campaign, finishing with 13 points, four rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 22 minutes.

Givony said that in this performance, Siby showed "a lot of raw promise, especially defensively." Analysts say that this Orange commit has promising tools, and his length is appealing, although Siby will need to gain strength and continue working on his offensive moves.

Syracuse basketball has three centers on its 2026-27 roster so far.

Around the time that Siby pledged to the 'Cuse, Givony told Syracuse.com that he thought it was a "great pickup" for SU. Givony says that Siby is a high-energy guy and a selfless teammate.

One other thing that Givony said to Syracuse.com caught my attention. Lately, some Syracuse basketball fans have lamented the Orange's 2026-27 roster developments, complaining that the Orange has appeared to have a decent budget this offseason but no commitments from power-conference transfers, for example.

However, Givony says a prospect such as Siby doesn't come "cheap." SU head coach Gerry McNamara and his staff have reeled in two international signees in Siby and 2026 four-star wing Mark Morano Mahmutovic from Slovenia.

Regarding these pledges, Givony says those international players "are the cream of the crop. These are players that were recruited across the high-major spectrum. And obviously, they (Syracuse coaches) were aggressive with what they offered them because these guys sure weren’t cheap."

The Orange's roster for the upcoming campaign features three centers. They are Siby, three-star transfer Tasman Goodrick, a junior from Siena, and four-star transfer Luke Wilson, a redshirt sophomore from Appalachian State.

Wilson, also a stellar defensive big man, is likely to be Syracuse basketball's starting center at the onset of the 2026-27 season.

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