Syracuse Basketball: A deep dive on new 'Cuse big man Petar Majstorovic from Serbia

Syracuse basketball has boosted its front-court depth ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 season.

In recent days, SU Athletics announced that Petar Majstorovic, a 6-foot-9 center from Haguenau, France, who was born in Serbia, has signed a national letter of intent to play for the 'Cuse.

The Orange's 2024-25 term will officially begin when Syracuse basketball welcomes nearby Le Moyne to the JMA Wireless Dome on Monday, Nov. 4.

First and foremost, a huge congrats and welcome from 'Cuse Nation to Petar!

Syracuse basketball has added a skilled big man for the upcoming term.

With Majstorovic on board, it's likely that head coach Adrian Autry and his top-flight staff may have wrapped up their 2024-25 roster. Following last season, when the Orange went 20-12 overall, seven players hit the transfer portal, while sophomore point guard Judah Mintz decided to pursue a professional career.

In the team's 2024 recruiting class, the 'Cuse has brought in two high school seniors, four college transfers and now Majstorovic. This means the Orange still has one 2024-25 scholarship left, but I'd be a little surprised if Syracuse basketball coaches end up landing another player at this juncture.

According to SU Athletics, most recently in 2023-24, Majstorovic suited up for the ASVEL Basket Lyon-Villeurbanne U-21 team in the French ProA U-21 league. While appearing in 34 contests, he averaged 23.6 minutes, 9.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

Per cuse.com, Majstorovic connected on 62.4 percent from the field and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line. He tallied double digits in scoring in 19 encounters and collected double digits in rebounds in nine affairs. The 19-year-old Majstorovic also registered seven double-doubles.

Much like its peers around the country, Syracuse basketball has experienced a significant overhaul of its roster ahead of 2024-25. If we're talking about the 'Cuse front-court, small forward Chris Bell, who was a starter in 2023-24, returns, as does center Naheem McLeod, who only appeared in 14 games last season due to an injury.

The Orange landed pledges from center Eddie Lampkin Jr., a four-star transfer from Colorado, and forward Jyáre Davis, a four-star transfer from Delaware. Then there's incoming freshman Donnie Freeman, a 2024 five-star power forward from Washington, D.C.

I assume that Bell will start again in 2024-25. The same holds true for Lampkin. Freeman is likely in the running for the starting rotation as well. Davis is a versatile player who can suit up at either forward spot.

McLeod could see sizable minutes at center, too. Majstorovic, who joins the 'Cuse as a freshman, is listed as a center, although I could envision him playing both power forward and center.