On paper, Syracuse basketball coaches have constructed a versatile and intriguing roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season, as the Orange looks to halt a four-year absence from the annual NCAA Tournament.
Earlier this week, the 'Cuse landed a commitment from 2025 three-star center Tiefing Diawara. As I've noted in a few other columns, the 6-foot-11, 240-pound Diawara gives Syracuse basketball more depth at the center position.
What's more, Orange coaches have three centers on their 2025-26 roster, each of whom is athletic, agile and mobile. A season ago, the 'Cuse defense was among the worst in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and part of the issue is that the team's centers in 2024-25 were not good at protecting the rim.
Hopefully, that will change in the upcoming stanza. Diawara's pledge means the Orange currently has 13 scholarship players for 2025-26, the maximum allowed by the NCAA. If the House settlement is approved by a federal judge, college basketball programs will be able to have 15 scholarship players on their rosters, meaning under that scenario, the 'Cuse would have two more scholarships remaining.
Let's review the Syracuse basketball 2025-26 roster.
Guards
Naithan George, transfer from Georgia Tech
J.J. Starling
Kiyan Anthony
Luke Fennell
Aaron Womack
Bryce Zephir, transfer from Montana State
Forwards
Donnie Freeman
Sadiq White Jr.
Nate Kingz, transfer from Oregon State
Tyler Betsey, transfer from Cincinnati
Centers
William Kyle lll, transfer from UCLA
Ibrahim Souare, transfer from Georgia Tech
Tiefing Diawara
The Orange's 2025-26 roster features two returnees from last season, five incoming freshmen and six college transfers. At the time of this writing, 247Sports rated the 'Cuse 2025 recruiting class at No. 18 overall around the country, No. 10 at the high school level and No. 33 via the portal.
Head coach Adrian Autry and his staff should have a lot of different line-up combinations in 2025-26. Starling can play point guard or shooting guard. Fennell is a combo guard. Anthony, a shooting guard, could likely play small forward, too. Kingz, a small forward, could play shooting guard. Womack can suit up at the two or the three.
Freeman can likely play some minutes at center in a small-ball line-up. My assumption is that White and Betsey could play either forward spot. Diawara, based on his size and length, is more of a traditional center, although Kyle and Souare could probably each play the four.
I think that the Orange's 2025-26 roster has solid depth at every position group, and it's also a nice blend of 2024-25 returnees, veteran transfers and incoming freshmen who possess promise and potential.
Does this roster provide Syracuse basketball with a legit shot to hear its name called on Selection Sunday in March of 2026? That remains to be seen. But Orange coaches have done a strong job with their 2025 recruiting efforts at the prep level and through the transfer portal.