The Orange big man is the second player to make the move this month, as the roster begins to shift in the Gerry McNamara era.
The Syracuse men's basketball team has had a second player declare for the transfer portal this week.
Freshman Tiefing Diawara will follow his now-former teammate Aaron Womack into the portal as neither player is apparently going to stick around for the Gerry McNamara era.
A reminder: entering the portal does not guarantee that a player is leaving, but it certainly is likely.
Diawara saw limited action for the Orange in 2025-2026. A seven-foot center from Mali, Diawara struggled to carve out playing time behind William Kyle III and Akir Souare. Diawara appeared in just four games, logging a total of 10 minutes. He scored two points and grabbed three rebounds.
It's unclear where Diawara may land in the upcoming portal cycle but before committing to the Orange, Diawara held offers from Kansas State and Baylor. That report came from Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.
Syracuse Orange mascot Otto the Orange olds up a sign against the Tennessee Volunteers in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesDiawara joins Womack
Diawara now joins Aaron Womack as the second player to likely leave the Orange. Womack announced his decision one day earlier than Diawara. The 6'6 Womack did not play last season for the Orange and will maintain all four season of college eligibility. Womack was a highly-touted prospect out of Dominican High School in Wisconsin, where he scored more than 2,000 career points.
Information on this year's transfer portal
The transfer portal officially opens on Tuesday for men's basketball. According to the NCAA's website, the transfer portal is described as:
A digital, compliance-manager system allowing student athletes to officially declare their intent to move to another school. It mandates that players notify their current school, which has 48 hours to enter their name, permitting other coaches to contact them.
In the 2026 window, April 21 is the final day players can enter their names. Players are not required to commit to a school during that window, meaning that roster changes can occur throughout the summer.
Orange teams in action this weekend
-The third-ranked Syracuse men's lacrosse team will head to Chapel Hill to face off against the second-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. The Orange finished the month of March undefeated and now stand at 9-2 on the season. Face-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.
-Syracuse women's lacrosse will also be on the road as they take on the 17th-ranked Duke Blue Devils. The No. 3 Orange hold a 10-3 record and are riding a 10-game winning streak. Face-off is set for 4 p.m. ET.
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