Syracuse’s Sadiq White Steps Up in Donnie Freeman’s Absence, Grows into Key Role Ahead of ACC Play
For the past month, much of the chatter around Syracuse basketball has centered on who wasn’t on the court. Donnie Freeman, the Orange’s leading scorer through the first four games of the season, has been sidelined with a lower right leg injury. His absence left a major hole in the Syracuse frontcourt - and an opportunity for someone to step up.
Enter Sadiq White.
The 6-foot-9 freshman didn’t just fill in for Freeman - he was thrown into the fire. White’s first three starts came under the bright lights of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, facing nationally ranked opponents.
His first start at the JMA Dome? Against No.
13 Tennessee. That’s a trial by fire if there ever was one.
“He’s been able to see what it takes to play a high-level game,” head coach Adrian Autry said, and that’s no exaggeration.
White has started nine games in Freeman’s absence, averaging 21.2 minutes per contest while sharing the power forward duties with sophomore Tyler Betsey. In that role, he’s quietly delivered 8.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game - solid production for a freshman finding his footing in a high-pressure environment.
But what’s stood out more than the box score is White’s poise and growth. Senior guard JJ Starling summed it up well: “I’m so proud of Sadiq.
Coming in, obviously, he wasn’t starting because Donnie was here, but he stepped up. That’s what college is all about.
You’re going to have injuries and stuff like that and it’s all about the next man up. He’s really grown into that role.”
White’s breakout moment came in Syracuse’s gritty 62-60 win over Tennessee - a much-needed bounce-back after the team’s 0-3 showing in Vegas. In that game, White played 26 minutes, scored 10 points, and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds. It wasn’t just a good night - it was a sign that the freshman was starting to turn a corner.
Now, as Syracuse (9-4) prepares to open ACC play at home against Clemson (10-3), Autry is seeing the payoff from the tough non-conference slate. White - along with fellow freshman Kiyan Anthony - has logged meaningful minutes in big-time matchups. That’s not always the case for young players heading into conference play.
“When you go into conference play, sometimes especially with freshmen, you don’t really know yet, depending on how you schedule,” Autry said. “But we had five or six Power Four games and then some close ones that wasn’t Power Four.
So they’ve been in some wars. And I think they’ve grown.
They got tremendous experience.”
That experience came with some growing pains. In Syracuse’s most recent game - a 77-48 win over Stonehill on Dec.
22 - White looked disengaged in the first half, managing just three points and one rebound. But Autry challenged him at halftime, and White responded with force: 10 points and eight rebounds in just 11 second-half minutes.
That kind of bounce-back is what coaches love to see, especially from a freshman.
Beyond the numbers, White’s defensive presence has been his calling card - just as it was during his senior year at IMG Academy in Florida. He’s embraced the dirty work, the communication, the energy plays. And his teammates have noticed.
“Defensively, being a vocal leader even though he’s a freshman,” Starling said, “he’s allowing us to feed off his energy.”
As for Freeman, he’s expected to be available for the ACC opener against Clemson. Whether he reclaims his starting spot or eases back into the rotation remains to be seen.
What’s clear is that Syracuse now has more depth and more confidence in its frontcourt than it did a month ago - and that’s thanks in large part to White’s emergence. He wasn’t supposed to be in the spotlight this early, but he’s made the most of it.
“The experience that he’s gotten, being able to play while Donnie’s been out,” Autry said, “is going to really help us in the long run.”