Syracuse Basketball: 5-star PG transfer, D.C. teammate of 5-star commit, off to Hoyas

A lot of Syracuse basketball fans whom I interact with on social media had hoped that the Orange coaching staff would end up landing a commitment from five-star transfer prospect Malik Mack, but the nation's No. 1 point guard via the portal has committed to former Big East Conference rival Georgetown, per a post on X from On3 national reporter Joe Tipton.

With sophomore Judah Mintz headed to the 2024 NBA Draft and other guards on the 'Cuse 2023-24 roster transferring out, one of the Orange staff's biggest needs this off-season likely centers around securing a lead guard ahead of the 2024-25 stanza.

At the top of the list, per many Orange fans, was the 6-foot-1, 170-pound Mack, who hails from the Washington, D.C., market and was previously a teammate in our nation's capital of Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Donnie Freeman, a five-star power forward.

I don't have specific intel here, but my sense is that the 'Cuse staff likely at least reached out to Mack after he entered the portal, which opened for business on Monday, March 18, running for 45 days.

Based on comments from national recruiting experts and others, it appears that some of the top suitors for Mack, beyond Georgetown, may have entailed college squads such as fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Virginia and Texas, a Big 12 Conference school that is leaving for the Southeastern Conference.

Syracuse basketball coaches continue to hunt for a point guard for next season.

Mack, a freshman at Harvard during the recently completed 2023-24 campaign, averaged 33.3 minutes, 17.2 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per affair, while connecting on 41.0 percent from the field, 34.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 81.3 percent from the free-throw line, according to ESPN data.

In 2023-24, as Harvard went 14-13 overall, Mack was named the Ivy League rookie of the year.

A native of Oxon Hill, Md., Mack played for the St. John’s College High School in D.C., a powerhouse program that is a member of the loaded Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (“WCAC”).

In 2022-23, Mack was a senior at St. John’s, while Freeman was a junior. They helped guide St. John’s, that season, to a 32-4 record, a top-25 national ranking, and the WCAC tournament title. In 2022-23, both Mack and Freeman received inclusion on the WCAC All-League first team.

Freeman, meanwhile, spent his brilliant senior year in 2023-24 at the juggernaut IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He said in a recent podcast interview with X account Light It Up Sports that he would have loved to play alongside Mack at the 'Cuse.

Both Freeman and Mack, on the AAU circuit, competed for the Washington-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league, a strong grassroots basketball program where Orange head coach Adrian Autry and assistant coach Brenden Straughn previously served as assistants.

Given all these D.C. area connections, it's understandable that 'Cuse fans wanted Mack to join Syracuse basketball. It's also understandable that he's committed to the Hoyas, a hometown college squad for him.

So far this off-season, Mintz is headed to the pro ranks and at least six guys on the 2023-24 roster have hit the portal. Conversely, via the portal, the Orange staff has secured commitments from two four-star transfer prospects, and they are Colorado senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Delaware senior forward Jyáre Davis.

Additionally, as far as I can tell, Syracuse basketball remains in pursuit of Mount St. Mary's senior guard Dakota Leffew, a four-star transfer who visited the Orange last weekend and has the 'Cuse in his top six.