It sure looks like freshman big man Sadiq White Jr. will return to Syracuse basketball for his sophomore season.
Not too long ago, the 6-foot-9, 195-pound native of Charlotte, N.C., posted to his Instagram story with a photo of himself in an Orange hoops uniform, accompanied by the song "Sweet Home" from Don Toliver.
Hmmm. That's got to be encouraging, right?
White came to the Hill as a top-30 national prospect in the 2025 class by way of the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., during his senior year.
As a freshman for then-head coach Adrian Autry in the 2025-26 stanza, when the Orange went 15-17 overall, White averaged 15.1 minutes, 6.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while making 54.7 percent from the field, 36.8 percent from beyond the arc and 51.3 percent from the free-throw line.
White was one of the top defensive players in the 2025 cycle. He has excellent athleticism and rebounds at a solid clip. White needs to get stronger and improve his all-around offensive game.
Hopefully, Syracuse basketball power forward Sadiq White Jr. is coming back.
After the 2025-26 season concluded, the second straight losing term for the 'Cuse, Autry was let go, and another former Syracuse basketball standout player, Gerry McNamara, was hired as the team's new head coach.
The Orange's 2025-26 roster included 13 main rotational players. Three have exhausted their eligibility. At least seven have entered the transfer portal, which opened on Tuesday and runs through April 21.
That leaves, from the squad's 2025-26 campaign, decisions we are waiting on from White, freshman guard/wing Kiyan Anthony and redshirt senior small forward Nate Kingz, who would need to secure a waiver from the NCAA to play another season of Division I basketball.
I hope White returns. He could be coached by former 'Cuse big man Arinze Onuaku, who was recently named as one of McNamara's assistant coaches.
This week, Syracuse basketball has received commitments from at least players. They are Siena sophomore guard Gavin Doty, Siena junior power forward/center Tasman Goodrick and Slovenian wing Mark Morano Mahmutovic, a four-star player in the 2026 class.