Syracuse Orange News: 3-star center signs, bowl projection, mixed bag for SU soccer

We're kicking off this edition of Syracuse Orange sports news with some men's basketball.

Tiefing Diawara, a three-star center in the 2025 class who is originally from Mali, has officially signed with Syracuse basketball, per SU Athletics. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound center Diawara had verbally pledged to the Orange in late May.

Over the spring and summer, Diawara put up some solid performances for the 17U squad of Milwaukee-based Team Herro in Nike's EYBL league, as I noted in a column last month. From late April until mid-July, according to the EYBL Web site, Diawara averaged 4.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for Team Herro.

Before joining the Orange, Diawara most recently suited up for the DME Academy at St. John's Northwestern in Delafield, Wis. The industry-generated 247Sports Composite, within the 2025 cycle, places Diawara at No. 405 overall, No. 66 at center and No. 11 in Wisconsin.

The 'Cuse has a five-member 2025 class at the high school level. The 247Sports Composite has this Syracuse basketball cycle at No. 17 nationwide.

More Syracuse Orange sports news to go over.

Bowl projection for Syracuse football
The Orange will embark on its 2025 season in a week's time, when the 'Cuse lines up opposite No. 24 Tennessee in Atlanta. Syracuse football is eyeing its fourth straight bowl appearance, although it won't prove easy in 2025. The Orange's schedule in the upcoming campaign is among the toughest in the country.

Still, when CBS Sports recently updated its bowl projections for this season, the Orange found itself included. CBS Sports predicts that Syracuse football will take on American Conference member Navy in the Fenway Bowl on December 27 in Boston. Personally, I'd rather see the 'Cuse in a warm-weather bowl, but it's good to see that some national observers think the Orange will reach a bowl game in 2025.

Mixed results for Syracuse soccer
The women's team won while the men's squad fell in recent home games for the Orange soccer programs. Syracuse women's soccer blanked Canisius from Buffalo, N.Y., by a final of 4-0. Next up, the Orange (2-1-0) will travel to Holy Cross on Sunday, Aug. 24, beginning at 1:00 pm.

The 'Cuse men's team, in its 2025 season opener, lost to UConn, 1-0. With this triumph, the Huskies snapped a four-game setback streak to Syracuse men's soccer. The Orange will next head to Loyola University Maryland on Sunday, Aug. 24, starting at noon.