This is heartbreaking.
Just a few minutes ago, St. John's head coach (and former Syracuse basketball assistant) Rick Pitino said on X that Donnie Freeman will miss the upcoming 2026-27 season due to a non-contact injury that he suffered during a workout.
Pitino adds that the 6-foot-9, 205-pound Freeman, who played for the Orange for two seasons before transferring to the Red Storm, "had successful Achilles tendon surgery performed by Dr. Martin O'Malley. ... Donnie is an awesome young man, we will get him back better than ever!"
Donnie Freeman had successful Achilles tendon surgery performed by Dr Martin O'Malley. Donnie had a non contact injury in a workout and will miss the season. Donnie is an awesome young man, we will get him back better than ever!
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) July 1, 2026
I get that Freeman no longer plays for SU, but I'm devastated for this young man from Washington, D.C. Orange Nation sends a ton of love to Donnie!
Syracuse basketball and St. John's are planning to battle in the upcoming campaign.
Reports have indicated that the 'Cuse is expected to face the Red Storm at Madison Square Garden in New York City as part of Syracuse basketball's non-conference docket in 2026-27. St. John's, last season, went 30-7 overall, won the Big East Conference regular-season and conference tournament crowns, reached the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament and finished as the No. 10 team in the country.
National observers have projected the Red Storm to be one of the top teams in the country again in 2026-27, although losing Freeman is rough. Still, St. John's has a talented roster, with players such as Baylor transfer wing Tounde Yessoufou, returning guard Ian Jackson (a former Orange target), 2026 four-star center Theo Edema, another former SU recruit, and former Orange guard Kyle Cuffe Jr., among others.
Syracuse basketball first-year head coach Gerry McNamara has said he wants to regularly play elite teams in the squad's non-conference docket, such as St. John's and UConn. The 'Cuse and the Huskies will go toe to toe in an October exhibition in 2026-27.
Freeman, a consensus five-star prospect in the 2024 class, was the highest-ranked signee for the Orange dating back to Carmelo Anthony in the 2002-03 season, when Syracuse basketball won its first and only national title.
Sadly, Freeman is injury-prone. He only appeared in 14 games as a freshman and missed nine contests last season as a sophomore, when the 'Cuse went 15-17 overall. In 2025-26, Freeman averaged 31.3 minutes, 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest while making 47.4 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from beyond the arc and 76.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Hoping that Donnie has a speedy recovery.
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