It will be a mini reunion for some former Syracuse basketball players this coming season in the Big East Conference.
Word broke on Monday that former Orange guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., a redshirt senior this past season at Mercer, is transferring to St. John's, whose head coach is former Syracuse basketball assistant Rick Pitino.
St. John’s adds veteran guard for bench depth.
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 18, 2026
https://t.co/hJO2KOhUe4 pic.twitter.com/uUimTmP6mw
A huge congrats to Kyle, a great young man who has had to deal with some unfortunate injuries throughout his college career, which started at Kansas before moving to the 'Cuse and then Mercer out of the Southern Conference.
St. John’s has signed Mercer guard transfer Kyle Cuffe, @chris_hummer and I have learned.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) May 18, 2026
Former top 110 overall recruit who played at Kansas and Syracuse before Mercer. pic.twitter.com/O5JegvSoq6
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cuffe, who hails from New York City, spent two seasons with Syracuse basketball as a reserve guard. In the 2025-26 campaign, as Mercer went 19-13, he averaged 16.4 minutes, 7.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game while making 39.0 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the free-throw line.
Former Mercer G Kyle Cuffe Jr. visited St. John's this weekend, per source
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 18, 2026
Cuffe began his career at Kansas (only playing 2 games) and then transferred to Syracuse
Averaged 7.3 ppg last season.
His father Kyle Cuffe played at St. John's. pic.twitter.com/zC2IRQphCD
Cuffe is a three-star transfer prospect this offseason, according to both 247Sports and On3. His dad, Kyle Cuffe, played for St. John's from 2000 to 2004.
Another former Syracuse basketball player transferred to St. John's.
Earlier this spring, amid the transfer portal being open from April 7 to April 21, former Orange sophomore power forward Donnie Freeman decided to transfer to St. John's, which has won at least 30 games in each of the past two seasons and reached the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Oh, and the Red Storm is reportedly finalizing a deal to play Syracuse basketball this coming season at Madison Square Garden. It's a tantalizing non-conference match-up, with SU first-year head coach Gerry McNamara expected to return to the world's famous arena, where he had some legendary performances as a standout guard at the 'Cuse.
Additionally, on Sunday, St. John's landed a commitment from 2027 four-star center Theo Edema out of the Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass. Edema, who had visited the Orange last September and played alongside Syracuse basketball incoming freshman point guard Ryan Moesch at Cushing, is re-classifying to the 2026 cycle.
So for SU's game against St. John's at MSG, the Orange will battle former players Kyle Cuffe Jr. and Freeman, a former recruiting target in Edema, and a former assistant coach in Pitino. Moesch will take on a former teammate in Edema, while McNamara is returning to Madison Square Garden as the head coach of his alma mater.
Fun, fun, fun things.
Add us as a preferred source on Google