Anticipate Syracuse basketball players to transfer. But Buddy Boeheim will be back.

The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team ran into a buzzsaw in the Sweet 16 in the form of the Houston Cougars. Kelvin Sampson’s club ripped through the Orange, 62-46 and advanced to the Elite Eight.

With the season coming to an end for Syracuse, attention immediately shifts to next year before we can even process the 2020-21 season. After the game Jim Boeheim was asked what he thinks he has for the fall.

“First of all, I’ve seen 50 or 60 starters that have left programs in the last week to ten days,” Boeheim said. “Being able to transfer and play right away means if you have any issue at all — any issue — you’re going to leave. Those guys would’ve never left before. But now they’re going to. We’ll have guys leave. That’s what’s going to happen.”

Syracuse can expect some roster turnover. Boeheim thinks that will occur within the next few weeks. As has become common in college basketball, players will enter their names in the transfer portal as soon as the season ends.

“In the next two to three weeks as things happen, we’ll have to adjust to it. We’ll start recruiting in the transfer portal because we’ll have guys in there,” Boeheim said.

Transferring in college sports has become a popular move. With the NCAA expected to allow a one-time transfer (with immediate eligibility), we can only anticipate transfer numbers to ramp up. Last year, a plethora of players were given a waiver to play right away given the coronavirus pandemic. That allowed Alan Griffin to play at Syracuse this season. The Syracuse program had three guards transfer out last year.

“None of those three played anywhere where they went,” Boeheim said.

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Boeheim said he was proud of his team for battling through the 2020-21 season filled with ups and downs. The Orange lost Bourama Sidibe in the season-opener, went on pause twice and utilized a late season rally to not only make the tournament but advance to the Sweet 16. Most players showed improvement as the season went on.

“I’m really happy with Jesse’s development. Joe and Buddy and Kadary, Quincy. The way they’ve played. I think we have a great player coming in with great potential. We’re going to get somebody else,” Boeheim said.

As for Buddy Boeheim, he set the nets on fire in March until he ran into DeJon Jerreau. After his strong showing in the post-season he captured the attention of NBA scouts with his shooting ability at 6-foot-6.

It might’ve only been a consideration for a brief moment, but he left no room for speculation.

“I’ll be back,” Buddy said. “I got a lot of work to do.”