Syracuse Basketball: Michigan big-man transfer will be in high demand this off-season

The transfer portal opened on Monday and will run for 45 days, and I think one of the potentially biggest needs for Syracuse basketball this off-season could be landing a talented center out of the portal.

In all fairness, the Orange's 2023-24 roster has included four centers, along with sophomore Maliq Brown, who is more of a power forward but played a lot of center in the second half of this campaign after junior Naheem McLeod unfortunately went down with a season-ending injury.

McLeod appeared in 14 games. Two other centers, junior Mounir Hima and sophomore Peter Carey, barely played, and a third, freshman William Patterson, is expected to take a redshirt for 2023-24.

While McLeod can be an imposing force on the defensive end, it wouldn't surprise me if Syracuse basketball coaches pursue another center for the 2024-25 stanza. Since the portal opened on Monday, numerous intriguing big men have entered the portal, one of whom is Michigan sophomore Tarris Reed Jr.

On Tuesday, On3 national reporter Joe Tipton said via his X page and in an article that the 6-foot-10, 265-pound Reed plans to enter the portal. Might the Orange pursue this talented player from St. Louis? We'll have to wait and see.

Syracuse basketball coaches should take a look at Michigan big-man transfer Tarris Reed Jr.

Michigan, out of the Big Ten Conference, mightily struggled in 2023-24. The Wolverines went just 8-24 overall, and word came out not too long ago that head coach Juwan Howard would not be back next season after leading the program for five campaigns.

As a sophomore this past term, Reed appeared in all 32 games. Per ESPN data, he averaged 26.5 minutes, 9.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest, while connecting on 51.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 58.6 percent from the free-throw line.

A member of the 2022 recruiting cycle, Reed was a highly coveted and highly ranked recruit. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite, within this class, rated him at No. 35 nationally, No. 8 at center and No. 3 in Missouri.

Before committing to Michigan, Reed held scholarship offers from college squads such as Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Arizona State, Creighton, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska and Xavier, among others.

In high school, Reed played three seasons and was a standout at the Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. During his time at Chaminade, he won a bunch of awards and honors for his performances.

For his senior year, he transferred to the powerhouse Link Academy in Branson, Mo. According to his bio on the Michigan athletics department Web site, while at Link, Reed averaged 9.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per affair. That season, the Lions would reach the final game of the high school national championship tournament, then known as the GEICO Nationals.

I have to imagine that Reed will be a highly sought-after big man in the portal this off-season, and I'll be curious to see whether Syracuse basketball coaches consider pursuing him.