The transfer portal allows college basketball players to explore new opportunities and build new homes for themselves if they see a change is needed. It’s been used for a long time and shows no signs of slowing down. The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team will look to be active this year after losing quite a few players.
Here is a list of Syracuse players leaving and coming via the Transfer Portal
Players Leaving Syracuse
So far, four players have decided to leave the Syracuse men’s basketball team for the transfer portal.
Chris Bell played three seasons with Orange, proving himself to be both a starter and an off-the-bench player. Bell started in 75 of his 95 games played with the Orange and averaged 9.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
Kyle Cuffe Jr.– initially played with Kansas before coming to the Syracuse men’s basketball team for two years. The 6-foot-2 guard played in 59 games with the Syracuse team and averaged 4.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game.
Chance Westry– transferred to Syracuse in the 2024-25 season. Played 11 games with Auburn in 2022-23. The 6-foot-6 guard mostly sat on the bench during his time at Syracuse and didn’t have a chance to showcase his talents.
Elijah Moore– had a decent freshman campaign with Syracuse, starting in 16 of his 26 games played. The 6-foot-4 freshman averaged 15.1 minutes and tallied 5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists.
Players Joining Syracuse
William Kyle III– comes to Syracuse as a UCLA transfer. Averaged 2.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in just 9.6 minutes per game. He is known as an athletic big man who can use his strength at the rim and draw many fouls.
Impact On Team
Syracuse won’t have much of a significant impact from this. Losing Bell is not ideal, but Cuffe Jr., Westry, and Moore are all easily replaceable.
Kyle III brings a high upside to the Orange despite not having a chance to show it during his time at UCLA. Kyle is an athletic, big man with a lot of power.
On the defensive side, Kyle brings a different but much more athletic element to the post than Syracuse did last year. He had a block rate of 5.6 over his first three seasons with South Dakota State and, more recently, UCLA.
He was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year in 2023-24, First Team All-Summit League, and Tournament MVP.
Future Outlook
Syracuse is coming off a lackluster season by their standards. The Orange have had a great basketball program for a long time but have not seen that same success in recent days.
They finished 14th in the ACC, with a seven-win and 13-loss conference record. Overall, Syracuse won only 14 games while losing 19.
KEEP READING: Purdue Basketball Transfer Portal: Full List of Players Entering and Exiting
If the team successfully finds some new influential players with potential, the Orange can undoubtedly make a comeback next season and beyond. However, it will be a gamble.
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