In recent games that Syracuse basketball has played, I've had a lot of my fellow fans ask me about redshirt sophomore guard/wing Chance Westry as we chat on social media about the team.
Well, on Friday night, after the Orange fell to Texas Tech in New York City at the 2024 Legends Classic, head coach Adrian Autry discussed the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Westry, a talented guy who didn't play at all last season due to an injury and has yet to see game time in the current 2024-25 campaign because of an undisclosed illness.
Autry said during his post-game press conference that Westry simply is "not ready to play right now." The head coach noted that Westry is cleared to play and he's available, but Autry made it a point of emphasis that he's not just going to throw Westry out there for a few minutes when he's not ready to make an impact.
"He's not ready to play right now."
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) November 23, 2024
Syracuse men's basketball head coach Adrian Autry explains why Chance Westry hasn't seen the floor yet.
Red also admits "nobody knows we're going to get" from the Auburn transfer when he does return to action. pic.twitter.com/jFxHCfekGC
Autry noted that Westry hasn't played in two years and that it takes a long time to come back from that and get into game shape. The 'Cuse head coach says that Westry is battling hard in attacking his rehab, and his spirits are good.
Chance Westry, if he's able to play at full strength, adds depth to the Syracuse basketball roster.
Autry, in his presser, acknowledged that "nobody knows what we're going to get" when Westry does see the court, including the Syracuse basketball head coach and Westry himself. Clearly, this young man is grinding hard to get into game shape and get onto the floor, "hopefully soon," Autry adds.
Westry, who hails from Harrisburg, Pa., played his freshman season at Southeastern Conference school Auburn, but he only appeared in 11 games due to an injury.
While in prep school, he was a long-time recruiting target of the Orange as a four-star, top-40 national prospect in the 2022 class. He took an official visit to the Hill during his recruitment but ultimately chose to compete for the Tigers.
After his freshman term at Auburn, Westry transferred to Syracuse basketball for the 2023-24 campaign, but as his head coach mentioned, Westry hasn't played in a single game yet for the 'Cuse.
I've always been a fan of Westry, and it's so unfortunate all of the injuries that he's had to contend with at the collegiate level. In recent weeks, on social media, some fans have voiced their frustration about Westry not seeing the court at all, and I get that.
Trust me, though. If Autry felt that Westry was ready to go out there and make a meaningful contribution, he would have put Westry on the court by now. Orange fans, myself included, don't know what illness Westry had, and I'm sure that he wants to be playing.
I've said it more than once: a healthy Westry raises the ceiling for Syracuse basketball in 2024-25. He's a versatile guy who can play both guard spots as well as small forward out on the wing. He's also an athletic player who locks in on the defensive end.
The Orange (3-2) could use his services. There's no denying that. Let's take Autry's comments to heart and, hopefully, Chance will get into a game in the near future.