The NBA season is underway, and the list of players with Syracuse ties on professional rosters is a slim one to start.
Jerami Grant is the lone former Syracuse player who both began and finished his college career at SU and is currently on an NBA roster. He is with the Memphis Grizzlies and is in his 13th NBA season after leaving Syracuse in 2014. Grant is coming off the bench for Memphis.
There are also two former Syracuse teammates on two-way contracts. Maliq Brown is with the Spurs, while Quadir Copeland is with the Rockets.
For Cornell fans, Chris Manon is on the Lakers’ roster, and AK Okereke is on a two-way deal with the same team. Both players transferred from the Big Red to Vanderbilt for their final college season.
The G League picture is only starting to come into focus. Training camps open today and run through Nov. 5, with the first games set for Nov.
- Rosters must be finalized by 5 p.m. on Nov.
At this point, Buddy Boeheim is set to play for the Oklahoma City Blue. Chris Bell, who played at California, was selected in the G League draft by the Grand Rapids Gold, and Benny Williams, who played at UCF, was picked by the Capital City Go-Gos.
The Canton Charge roster could include Kadary Richmond, who played at St. John’s. The Coachella Valley Lakers roster could include William Kyle III.
This list figures to keep changing as the week goes on.
In Other News...
Syracuse Just Added A Center Who Could Change Its Identity Inside
Syracuse bolstered its frontcourt with the addition of Luke Wilson, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Appalachian State who went through a crowded portal market before settling on the Orange. Wilson had multiple Power Five options on the table, but Syracuses coaching staff proved to be the draw, especially the chance to develop under big man coach Arinze Onuaku.
For a roster looking to define its interior identity, Wilson arrives with a skill set that stands out immediately. He is expected to compete for the starting center job, and his defensive profile is already established after leading the Sun Belt in blocks last season. If that edge carries over, Syracuse may have found a player who changes the way opponents attack the paint. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Gets A Real ACC Test With Momentum Finally Back
Syracuse finally snapped its conference skid with an overtime win, a result that gave the Orange a much-needed lift after a rough stretch in ACC play. Steve Angeli helped lead the way, and now the challenge shifts quickly from relief to reality, with a red-hot SMU team coming to town and the conference race tightening around both sides.
Kevin Jennings has been the centerpiece of SMUs climb, piling up the kind of production that has made him the most prolific passer in Mustangs history and helped position his team near the top of the ACC standings. SMU is tied for second and chasing a fifth straight win, which makes this a far sturdier measuring stick for Syracuse than the one it just passed, with the Orange trying to prove last week was a turning point rather than a one-off. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Found Unexpected Difference Makers In Its Breakthrough ACC Win
Syracuses first ACC win of the season came with a few unexpected names stepping into the spotlight in the 31-30 overtime victory at North Carolina. The Orange finally snapped a conference losing streak that had stretched more than a year, and the performance felt less like a one-off upset than a reminder that help can emerge from all over a roster when a game turns tight late.
Among the players who drew strong PFF grades were freshman offensive lineman Jayden Mann, junior running back Ahmad Miller, true freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III and junior linebacker Zyian Moultrie-Goddard. Their work fed a balanced offensive effort and gave Syracuse enough defensive resistance to survive a one-point thriller, leaving the bigger question now whether these breakout contributions can become part of something more lasting as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]