Questions Remain Unanswered About Syracuse's Recruitment Of Thomas Bryant

Due to poor wording in last Friday's NCAA report, the Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is still trying to figure out if 2015's top recruiting target, five-star forward Thomas Bryant, should eliminate Syracuse from his shortlist of possible landing spots, because of scholarship and recruiting restrictions handed down on Judgement Day (via Syracuse'.com's Mike Waters).

According to the NCAA's report, Syracuse can delay the start of the penalty until the 2016-17 season "if the institution has already executed athletically related financial aid agreements to prospective student-athletes for the 2015-16 academic year.''

The NCAA has not been able to clarify whether Syracuse could bring in an as yet-unsigned recruit for the 2015-16 season despite repeated inquiries.

Because of the confusion, the Rochester, N.Y. native, who is friends with current sophomore center Chinonso Obokoh, isn't sure if he can still consider Syracuse a place he can go. What the Orange do know is a current player will need to transfer to open a spot for Bryant, but none of that will matter if Syracuse is no longer allowed to offer him a scholarship.

Bryant's mother, Linda, said she and her son are still trying to understand the impact of Syracuse's NCAA penalties.

"We're trying to get a few things figured out,'' Linda Bryant said Wednesday. "We're getting information. I don't want to say anything else until we know more.''

According to Waters, the McDonald's All-American has narrowed his list of schools to SU, the Kentucky Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers. He has told the the media group he will likely make a final decision in March.