Syracuse Basketball: Eddie Lampkin, Donnie Freeman on watch lists for national honors

As Syracuse basketball gets set to play its second game of the 2024-25 season, two of the Orange's front-court stars are on watch lists for national honors at their respective positions.

Not too long ago, 'Cuse graduate student center Eddie Lampkin Jr., a four-star transfer from Colorado, was one of 20 guys named to the preseason watch list for the 2025 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, which annually recognizes the top center in collegiate hoops.

Meanwhile, Syracuse basketball freshman power forward Donnie Freeman is one of 20 players on the preseason watch list for the 2025 Karl Malone Award, which every year honors the top power forward in the sport.

Per a recent release from cuse.com, Freeman is one of two freshmen to make the preseason watch list for this term's Karl Malone Award, which is pretty darn cool.

Syracuse basketball can have an excellent front-court in 2024-25.

In the Orange's season opener a week ago, the 'Cuse barely got past nearby Le Moyne, 86-82, at the JMA Wireless Dome. In that win, the 6-foot-11, 265-pound Lampkin finished with 10 points despite getting into early foul trouble.

The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Freeman, a consensus five-star prospect in the 2024 class, tallied 10 points and 11 rebounds even though he struggled shooting from the field. Freeman, who as a senior at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., competed in several All-America games, joined the 'Cuse rated No. 6 nationally in his cycle by several recruiting services, making him the second-highest-ranked commit in Orange program history.

Syracuse basketball, beyond Freeman and Lampkin, has a lot of promise in its front-court. For one, if you include Chris Bell, the 6-foot-7, 192-pound small forward is poised for a big junior season, and I think he will be among the country's best in 3-point shooting during the 2024-25 season.

One transfer into the 'Cuse this past off-season who I've always been high on is senior forward Jyare Davis, a four-star prospect who moved from Delaware to Syracuse basketball. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound Davis has a strong frame and is a versatile player who can play the three, four or even the five spot in a "small-ball" line-up.

Davis, in the Orange's victory over Le Moyne, was the team's biggest standout, connecting on 7-of-9 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line while generating 22 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal.

As it pertains to the Syracuse basketball front-court in 2024-25, after you add in freshman power forward/center Petar Majstorovic and senior center Naheem McLeod, the 'Cuse has a lot of talent and intrigue among its forwards and centers.

Syracuse basketball, up next, will host top Patriot League team Colgate on Tuesday, Nov. 12, beginning at 7 pm and with live-streaming coverage on the ACC Network Extra and ESPN+.