Syracuse Basketball: 5-star commit Donnie Freeman will contend for ACC's top freshman

In the upcoming 2024-25 season, Syracuse basketball five-star signee Donnie Freeman is expected to be a major contributor for the Orange, whether as a starter or one of the first reserves off the bench in head coach Adrian Autry's rotation.

Personally, I think that the 6-foot-9 power forward will be in the starting line-up for Autry at the onset of 2024-25, but either way, he's likely to play a lot of minutes.

The Washington, D.C., native put forth a stellar senior season in 2023-24 for the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and in recent weeks, Freeman has suited up at a couple of prestigious All-America showcases.

Freeman is an athletic and dynamic big man who can score at all three levels, is great out in transition, and rebounds with proficiency. Per experts, he's significantly improved his 3-point shot, and he'll continue to enhance his defensive presence.

As all of the primary recruiting services have recently updated their 2024 national rankings, Freeman checks in as a consensus five-star, top-15 overall player in the high school senior class.

Some recruiting Web sites place him as high as No. 6 nationwide, as well as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 2 prospect coming out of Florida. Freeman is the highest-rated commit for the 'Cuse dating back to Carmelo Anthony, who as a freshman helped guide Syracuse basketball to the program's only national championship in 2003.

Looking ahead, some national analysts and scouts believe that Freeman is poised to be one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's top freshmen in 2024-25.

Five-star power forward Donnie Freeman will be a key player for Syracuse basketball next season.

In a recent article, 247Sports national analyst and scout Brandon Jenkins predicted which high school seniors would win freshmen of the year honors in the major conferences during the upcoming season.

In the ACC, Jenkins named 2024 five-star power forward Cooper Flagg as the favorite, which is no surprise. Flagg is the No. 1 national prospect in this cycle, he's committed to Duke, and last month, he helped lead Montverde Academy from Montverde, Fla., to the high school national championship at this year's Chipotle Nationals in Brownsburg, Ind.

Staying in the ACC, Jenkins also named several other contenders who will likely vie alongside Flagg for the league's rookie of the year honors in 2024-25. Two names here will be familiar to Syracuse basketball recruiting enthusiasts, as they're former Orange targets.

One is 2024 five-star shooting guard Jalil Bethea from the Philadelphia area, who is committed to Miami, and the second is 2024 five-star shooting guard Ian Jackson from New York City, who is signed with North Carolina.

This brings us to another one of Jenkins' contenders - Freeman. The 247Sports analyst writes that Freeman "is riding a great wave heading into his freshman season at Syracuse. He is a modern four-man who can play off the bounce, hit shots from the perimeter and guard multiple positions. He is another player who will start immediately and bring value to Syracuse's front court."