Syracuse Basketball: SU needs a big man, and Colorado 4-star transfer may be the guy

Syracuse basketball coaches are likely going to focus on picking up a veteran big man out of the transfer portal this off-season, and a four-star transfer from Colorado was scheduled to visit the Hill on Tuesday, according to a media report.

A shout-out to Syracuse.com's Brent Axe, who first reported via his X page that Colorado senior center Eddie Lampkin Jr. planned to "visit Syracuse today," Axe confirmed with a source.

The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Lampkin, who hails from Houston, had a solid 2023-24 season as a senior with the Buffaloes, a group that made this spring's NCAA Tournament. Per 247Sports, he entered the transfer portal on March 27.

The current transfer-portal cycle opened on Monday, March 18, and it will run for 45 days. To date, at least five 'Cuse players on the team's 2023-24 roster have decided to hit the portal, including sophomore power forward/center Maliq Brown and sophomore center Peter Carey.

Syracuse basketball is showing interest in Colorado 4-star big-man transfer Eddie Lampkin Jr.

In 2023-24, Colorado went 26-11 overall. The Buffaloes, as a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, won a thrilling contest with No. 7 seed Florida in the round of 64, but then Colorado lost in the round of 32 to No. 2 seed Marquette, 81-77.

The Buffaloes have been a member of the Pac-12 Conference, but they're moving to the Big 12 Conference. In Colorado's two affairs during March Madness, Lampkin combined for 34 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

For his senior year as a whole, Lampkin appeared in all 37 games for the Buffaloes. He averaged 27.8 minutes, 10.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per encounter, while connecting on 57.9 percent from the field and 66.1 percent from the free-throw line, according to ESPN data.

Lampkin, who previously suited up at Big 12 Conference member TCU before joining Colorado, was rated as four stars, No. 102 overall and No. 15 at center on Tuesday in national transfer rankings from 247Sports.

As a member of the 2020 recruiting cycle, Lampkin was a four-star prospect, according to ESPN, and he played at Morton Ranch High School in Katy, Texas.

While in high school, he held scholarship offers from college squads such as Texas A&M, Arkansas, Baylor, Georgia Tech, LSU, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Western Kentucky, Witchita State, Missouri and Georgetown, among others, per recruiting Web sites.