Ranking Syracuse men’s basketball’s 10 most important players this year
Donnie Freeman hangs on the rim after a dunk against NC State. Freeman is poised to be one of Syracuse's most important players in his second season with the Orange. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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Syracuse men’s basketball is just over a month away from beginning what could be a program-altering 2025-26 season.
The Orange are coming off their worst campaign since 1968-69 and have missed four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, making Adrian Autry’s third year at the helm a pivotal one.
SU completely rebuilt its roster in the offseason, bringing in six transfers and five freshmen to round out the rotation alongside returnees J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman.
Classified by how important their individual success is to helping Syracuse return to March Madness — which isn’t talent-based — here’s a ranking of the Orange’s 10 most important players for this year:
10. Ibrahim Souare, forward/center, redshirt sophomore
Ibrahim Souare is the exact type of player SU needed off the bench last year. He has instant energy, good athleticism and solid size. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Souare should be a key fixture in the Orange’s center rotation after averaging 2.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman at Georgia Tech.
9. Kiyan Anthony, guard, freshman
Placing Kiyan Anthony ninth isn’t a knock on his talent. Ranking as 247Sports’ No. 32 player in the 2025 class, he’s one of the better recruits Syracuse has ever brought in.
Yet, with Starling, Naithan George, Nate Kingz and Luke Fennell all also vying for guard minutes, Anthony’s playing time may not be consistent. His scoring ability is no doubt among the best on the Orange, and he can change a game instantly when he heats up.
But with Starling — who averaged 34.5 minutes per game last year — locked in as the starting shooting guard, minutes could be tough to create for Anthony since he likely won’t play much point guard, and his 6-foot-5 frame makes him slightly small for a forward.
Anthony is a crucial part of what SU is building, even if that might not always be apparent throughout the season.
8. Luke Fennell, guard, freshman
Like most freshmen, Fennell’s best college days are likely ahead of him. But that doesn’t mean he’ll just sit on the bench and watch the whole year.
Fennell’s ball handling and great positional size (6-foot-6) should get him on the court immediately, and it’d make sense to see him serve as the backup point guard behind George. At times, depending on how Fennell adjusts to the college level, he could even see himself potentially playing alongside George.
Though he’s likely more important to how SU looks in the next two years, Fennell has the talent to emerge as an unsung hero for this season’s squad.
7. Tyler Betsey, forward, sophomore
On the surface, Tyler Betsey may not look like a big transfer portal addition. He averaged just 11.1 minutes and 3.3 points per game as a freshman at Cincinnati, and he shot just 35.7% from the field.
However, 247Sports ranked Betsey as the No. 53 player in the 2024 class, and he has the attributes to become an X-factor. Out of high school, Betsey was lauded for his combination of positional size (6-foot-8) and shooting.
That didn’t translate immediately to the college level. But if Betsey can find his rhythm from beyond the arc and take a sophomore leap, there’s a world where he becomes the best 3-and-D player on Syracuse’s roster.
6. Nate Kingz, guard/forward, redshirt senior
Syracuse was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country last season. Kingz was one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.
As the Orange look to improve their 32.8% 3-point percentage, which ranked 246th in the country last year, Kingz will be at the forefront of bolstering their outside shooting. In his lone season playing at Oregon State — he missed the 2023-24 season after tearing his ACL — Kingz nailed 44.6% of his 3-point attempts while shooting 4.2 per game.
In simple terms, Syracuse needs Kingz’s efficiency and outside shooting badly. It’s to be seen whether Kingz starts or plays more of a sixth-man role, but his secondary scoring will be crucial to the Orange’s success.
5. William Kyle III, forward/center, senior
Though William Kyle III has elite athleticism, he doesn’t have the traditional height of a center — he’s listed at 6-foot-9. But he will likely handle the brunt of SU’s center minutes, making him one of the most important players on this team.
There are three possible scenarios for how it goes. He could again average 2.9 points and 1.8 rebounds. Or he could return to his 2023-24 form, when he was a First Team All-Summit League selection at South Dakota State, averaging 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. Third, he falls somewhere in the middle of his previous two seasons.
More likely than not, it’ll be the third scenario. Kyle was banged up in his lone year at UCLA and didn’t receive much playing time. Meanwhile, the ACC is far from the Summit League, so it’d be difficult to see Kyle replicating his 2023-24 production.
Where Kyle falls on the pendulum could help define what kind of season Syracuse has.
4. Sadiq White Jr., forward, freshman
Sadiq White Jr. is Syracuse’s highest-ranked recruit in his class and one of the most intriguing players on the Orange’s roster. His athleticism and size should help him adjust to the college level quickly, but he has a lot of question marks heading into the season.
Evaluators see White as a rawer prospect, and his outside shooting could take more time to develop. However, the forward should operate smoothly when attacking the rim and moving downhill, especially in transition, while also coming in as a plus defender.
Realistically, and based on speculation, White may start the season coming off the bench. But for Syracuse to reach its ceiling, there’s a great argument that White emerging as one of its top players is one of the most important things that needs to happen.
3. Naithan George, guard, junior
The one glaring issue SU had throughout last year was that it didn’t have a strong starting point guard. By getting George from the transfer portal, the Orange now have a guy who’s capable of being an All-ACC-level point guard.
Every time George — who led the ACC with 6.5 assists per game last year — touches the floor, he’s a double-double and triple-double threat. His secondary scoring will be vital behind Starling and Freeman, but he’s the engine that could make or break SU’s offense.
The bar is low for George to top what the Orange got from Jaquan Carlos last year, but the pressure is high to continue developing into one of the best point guards in the conference.
2. J.J. Starling, guard, senior
One of the best things a college basketball team can have is an experienced guard who can score when a game is on the line — Starling fits that bill. Entering his senior year off a campaign where he averaged 17.8 points per game, Starling should be expected to lead Syracuse and be among the ACC’s scoring leaders.
At this point, SU knows what it’s getting in Starling: a dominant scorer with the ball in his hands who thrives off scoring inside the arc, and he can step up as a ball handler when needed. After missing time last year, it’s vital that Starling stays healthy for the Orange to reach their ceiling.
Additionally, if Starling can at least become an average 3-point shooter — he shot 26.8% on 5.5 attempts per game last year — Syracuse’s offense can take a massive step forward.
SU can shoo-in Starling to score around 20 points in any game. But the more efficient he can be, and the more developed his offensive game becomes, coincides with how far Syracuse can go.
1. Donnie Freeman, forward, sophomore
Before suffering a season-ending injury last year, Freeman looked like he was on the verge of becoming one of the best freshmen in the ACC. He averaged a near double-double, 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds, while also drilling 9-of-20 3-pointers across his final eight games.
At 6-foot-9 with the ability to handle the ball and shoot, Freeman has the size, athleticism and skill that can help him take over games and also potentially put him on NBA scouts’ radars as a first-round pick.
If Freeman is healthy and, in a way, used the last half of last year like a redshirt year to continue his development, his sophomore leap could be among the best in the country. If that does happen, that’s how the Orange have their best chance of returning to the NCAA Tournament.
