The current transfer portal window in college hoops runs through April 22, and my sense is that Syracuse basketball coaches aren't done adding players to their 2025-26 roster via the portal this off-season.
So far, the Orange has secured commitments from four college transfers, including two who are rated four stars. The 'Cuse has four 2025 prep signees, and two players from the team's 2024-25 season will return.
That means Syracuse basketball, at this juncture, has a roster for the 2025-26 campaign of 10 scholarship players, with five scholarships still available.
My projected 2025-26 starting line-up for Syracuse basketball, as of today.
Naithan George at point guard (he's a transfer from Georgia Tech)
J.J. Starling at shooting guard
Nate Kingz at small forward (he's a transfer from Oregon State)
Donnie Freeman at power forward
William Kyle lll at center (he's a transfer from UCLA)
The bench, to date, features shooting guard Kiyan Anthony, combo guard Luke Fennell, forward Sadiq White Jr., wing Aaron Womack and power forward/center Ibrahim Souare, a transfer from Georgia Tech.
This is solely my opinion, but I imagine that Anthony could play the two or the three. Fennell could compete at either guard spot. White, perhaps, could play the three or the four. Womack, likely, can suit up at shooting guard and small forward.
Souare can play the four or the five. In a small-ball line-up, Freeman could also play some at center. Head coach Adrian Autry and his staff appear to have an athletic, agile and versatile line-up with a lot of interesting rotational combinations.
Now, with five scholarships available, what kinds of transfers might the 'Cuse coaching staff pursue? First and foremost, I think that the Orange could use another true center. Both Kyle and Souare are hybrid power forwards/centers.
Kyle had a fabulous sophomore campaign at the mid-major level but didn't play a ton at UCLA in 2024-25, in part due to an injury. Souare also played limited minutes this past term, although he did see more court time as the season progressed.
Perhaps Syracuse basketball coaches are looking to have a tandem at center in 2025-26, with Kyle starting, and he and Souare dividing up the minutes at this position. Either way, if the Orange could add another center, that would prove huge.
Scoring a pledge from Kingz was big-time for the 'Cuse, as he shot better than 44 percent from beyond the arc this past stanza. That being said, the Orange was not a good 3-point shooting team in 2024-25, so if Syracuse basketball could pluck another stellar perimeter shooter out of the portal, someone who likely plays shooting guard/small forward, that would be ideal.
If I had to venture a guess at a third additional need at this point in the off-season for the 'Cuse, I'd suggest possibly another forward who can suit up at both the three and the four. I don't expect Syracuse basketball to have 15 scholarship players in 2025-26, but it wouldn't surprise me if the program brings on board two to three more college transfers before all is said and done during the current portal window.