Syracuse basketball reaches out to 4-star transfer averaging 21 PPG; praised by scout

Syracuse basketball coaches have reached out to prolific-scoring wing BJ Freeman, who is in the transfer portal, according to multiple media reports.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Freeman, a talented guard/small forward, is a junior at Milwaukee out of the Horizon League. In the 2023-24 season, he led the Horizon League in scoring, at 21.1 points per game.

In a post on X, top national analyst/scout Jamie Shaw of On3 said that since entering the portal, Freeman has heard from schools including the Orange, Kentucky, Kansas, Tennessee, Providence, Mississippi State, Missouri, Villanova, Arizona State, Arkansas, UCF, Xavier, Colorado and Texas A&M.

When I wrote this article on Thursday, in national transfer ratings this cycle, On3 placed Freeman as four stars and No. 85 overall, while 247Sports also had him as four stars.

Undeniably, Freeman is going to prove a highly sought-after prospect. The transfer portal, by the way, opened for business on Monday, March 18, and it will run for 45 days.

Syracuse basketball has reached out to four-star wing transfer BJ Freeman.

During the most recent term, Milwaukee went 20-15 overall and 12-8 in conference play. The Panthers reached the championship game of the Horizon League Tournament held in Indianapolis.

As a junior, per ESPN data, Freeman appeared in 27 games. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals per contest, while connecting on 42.2 percent from the field, 35.1 percent from beyond the arc, and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.

The Selma, N.C., native was named to the 2023-24 All-Horizon League second team for the second consecutive season. Before joining Milwaukee, Freeman suited up at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan.

As a member of the 2021 recruiting cycle, he played as a senior at Moravian Prep in Hudson, N.C., and was previously a standout at Clayton High School in Clayton, N.C., according to Freeman's bio on the Milwaukee athletics department Web site.

Here's a quote that On3's Shaw was kind enough to share with me about Freeman on Thursday afternoon. "Production is the name of the game for BJ Freeman. Since his high school days, he has produced at a high level and that production has translated to two seasons of All-Conference honors in the Horizon League."

So far during the current transfer-portal cycle, I'm aware of at least four prospects who have heard from the Orange coaching staff. Besides Freeman, they are Hofstra junior point guard Jaquan Carlos, Mount St. Mary's senior guard Dakota Leffew and UNC Greensboro senior forward Mikeal Brown-Jones.

Since the transfer portal opened, reports have indicated that at least four players on the Syracuse basketball 2023-24 roster have either entered the portal or plan to transfer. They are sophomore guards/wings Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland, sophomore center Peter Carey, and junior forward Benny Williams, who was dismissed from the program in early February.