With Syracuse Orange basketball target Osun Osunniyi opting to head to St. Bonaventure instead of Central New York, we figured now would be a good time to take a look at the Syracuse scholarship situation for the upcoming season and beyond.

Syracuse is out of the woods vis-á-vis NCAA scholarship penalties, according to SU spokesman Pete Moore. While Tyus Battle’s decision is still up in the air, his scholarship at Syracuse won’t affect the total allotment or prevent the staff from recruiting in the unlikely event that he returns to Syracuse. That, and Buddy Boeheim can still be penciled in as a walk-on. See the breakdown below.

2018-2019

A late recruiting addition in Robert Braswell helps add depth to the roster for the 2018-2019 season, but Syracuse technically could leave four scholarships open this year if Tyus doesn’t return and Buddy ends up as a walk-on. If the staff is done recruiting the 2018 class, it might make sense to pursue a traditional transfer. Otherwise the staff can focus its efforts towards a big 2019 class to which it already has plenty of offers out to.

2019 Offers

• Precious Achiuwa
• John Bol Ajak
• Akok Akok
• Kofi Cockburn
• Joe Girard III
• Quincy Guerrier
• Aidan Igiehon
• Jalen Lecque
• Wendell Moore
• Isaiah Stewart
• Qudus Wahab
• Kahlil Whitney

2019-2020

Moving beyond this season and onto 2019-2020, Oshae Brissett is probably gone but we threw him to err on the side of caution. Paschal Chukwu could apply for an additional year and Syracuse will also bring in Brycen Goodine. As it stands now, that leaves the same number of positions available for the 2019-2020 season but it remains possible that six slots could be available with Brissett departing for the league and Chukwu moving on.

2020 Offers

• Scottie Barnes
• Elijah Hutchins-Everett
• Andre Jackson
• Clifford Omoruyi
• Addison Patterson

2020-2021

Syracuse could return much of its current core in the 2020-2021 season. There’s thought that Jalen Carey could be a two and done type of player but even if the staff doesn’t pick up another guard — which won’t happen — Syracuse will still have depth at that position. Of course if history has taught us anything it’s that some of these guys will depart earlier than expected, viz., transfer. But Syracuse could have a troika of seniors in Marek Dolezaj, Howard Washington and Elijah Hughes as well as upper classmen in Buddy and Braswell.

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How do you think the roster will shakeout for this season and beyond? Any recruits in particular you’re most interested in? Should we have projected out to the 2032-2033 season when Jim Boeheim will be coaching Dion Waiters’s son? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.