Things are about to start for real for Syracuse basketball.
On Monday, Nov. 4, the Orange and its second-year head coach, Adrian Autry, will host nearby Le Moyne to kick off the 2024-25 season for Syracuse basketball.
This past off-season, the 'Cuse, much like many of its peers nationwide, saw its roster significantly revamped. For this upcoming campaign, the Orange has 12 scholarship players, including five 2023-24 returnees, four college transfers and three incoming freshmen.
Ahead of the 2024-25 term, national and Atlantic Coast Conference pundits aren't all that high on Syracuse basketball as it pertains to the league's standings, but I for one think that the 'Cuse is going to surprise people this fall and stretching into the winter.
Last season, as Autry replaced the legendary Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim at the helm of the program, the Orange won 20 regular-season games for the first time in a decade. The next step is for Syracuse basketball to get back to the annual NCAA Tournament following a three-year absence.
My projected starting rotation for Syracuse basketball at the onset of 2024-25.
Here it is:
Jaquan Carlos, a senior guard who transferred in from Hofstra
J.J. Starling, a junior guard
Chris Bell, a junior forward
Donnie Freeman, a freshman forward from Washington, D.C.
Eddie Lampkin Jr., a graduate student center who transferred in from Colorado
This would be the Orange's reserves:
Kyle Cuffe Jr., a redshirt junior guard
Lucas Taylor, a senior guard who transferred in from Georgia State
Petar Majstorovic, a freshman forward from Haguenau, France
Elijah Moore, a freshman guard from New York City
Naheem McLeod, a senior center
Chance Westry, a redshirt sophomore guard/wing
Jyare Davis, a senior forward who transferred in from Delaware
Regarding the 'Cuse players off of the bench:
Cuffe will serve as a solid back-up at guard
Taylor can play guard or small forward out on the wing, I imagine
Majstorovic is a versatile big man who can play either forward or center in a smaller line-up
Moore is a pure shooting guard who has a deadly stroke, but perhaps he could play small forward, too
McLeod will be the primary back-up at center
Westry, assuming he's fully healthy, can play both guard spots and small forward
Davis is an athletic prospect who can play either small forward or power forward (maybe center?)
Now let's have some fun. How about a line-up that focuses on long-distance shooting? Lethal:
Carlos, guard
Moore, guard
Taylor, forward
Bell, forward
Freeman or Lampkin, center
You want to rely on size and length? Let's do it:
Westry, guard
Starling or Taylor, guard
Davis, forward
Freeman or Majstorovic, forward
McLeod, center
You want to play up-tempo, press, and wreak havoc with athleticism? Here you go:
Carlos, guard
Cuffe, guard
Westry or Taylor, forward
Davis, forward
Freeman, center
You want all veterans in the game? No problem:
Carlos, guard
Starling, guard
Bell, forward
Davis, forward
Lampkin, center
Autry and his top-flight staff have a deep rotation, and I do believe that guys who don't start will contend for decent run, as I'm not sure there is much of a "drop-off" between those players who will reside in the starting line-up versus those who will come off the bench.