Syracuse Basketball: 5-star commit set for All-America games, earns All-League honors

Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Donnie Freeman, a five-star power forward and a top-10 national prospect in the senior cycle, has a big-time week coming up.

The 6-foot-9 Freeman, who is officially signed with the Orange in the team's stellar two-member 2024 class, is getting geared up to play in the McDonald’s All-America game. A few days later, he and his IMG teammates will vie for a high school national championship at this season's Chipotle Nationals.

It's proven a storybook 2023-24 season, and high school career, for Freeman. As a junior at St. John’s College High School in D.C., he won a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (“WCAC”) tournament title. Last summer, Freeman claimed a Peach Jam crown with the Washington-based Team Takeover in the 17U division on Nike’s EYBL circuit.

As a senior in 2023-24, Freeman has proven a key contributor for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., a powerhouse squad that is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally by ESPN.

Beginning on April 4 and running through April 6, the eight-team Chipotle Nationals will take place at Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Ind., near Indianapolis. The winner of this annual event will be deemed the high school national champion.

IMG is one of the eight participants in the Chipotle Nationals. The Ascenders have a tough path in the tourney's bracket, but at least one high school hoops expert recently told me that IMG can go on a deep run, and Freeman's production will be much needed for the Ascenders to do damage in the 2024 Chipotle Nationals.

Syracuse basketball 2024 five-star commit Donnie Freeman will compete in several All-America games.

Two days before the Chipotle Nationals kicks off, Freeman will suit up in the prestigious McDonald’s All-America game on April 2 at the Toyota Center in Houston.

He was also selected to compete in the upcoming Jordan Brand Classic on April 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., as well as the Allen Iverson Roundball Classic on May 4 at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va.

In 2023-24, IMG has faced top-flight opponents as a member of the 14-team Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic (“EYBL Scholastic”), which is arguably the country’s premier high school hoops conference.

During the EYBL Scholastic regular season, IMG went 7-5 overall, finishing in a tie for the No. 5 spot. In recent days, the X account League Ready disclosed the 2023-24 All-EYBL Scholastic teams, and Freeman was named to the second squad, which is tremendous.

Within EYBL Scholastic play, he averaged nearly 17 points and more than eight rebounds per contest, to go along with roughly two assists per game. Freeman connected on 53 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line.

He proved a top-10 scorer in the EYBL Scholastic during 2023-24, and Freeman was also No. 2 in boards per affair.

Syracuse basketball fans are eager and excited to see Donnie don a 'Cuse uniform next season. In the meantime, he's got a big week ahead that we'll be anxious to monitor.