This recent Orange transfer will not see action for his new school this season.
Now-former Syracuse basketball standout Donnie Freeman will not play for the entirety of the 2026-27 season. After Adrian Autry's firing in March, Freeman entered the transfer portal in April and signed on with Rick Pitino and St. John's. He was going to be a big part of the Red Storm's plan to repeat as Big East champions, but he won't get that chance now.
Donnie Freeman's career
A five-star prospect from IMG Academy, Freeman signed with the Orange to play under Autry. A McDonald's All-American, Freeman is one of the highest ranked recruits to sign with the Orange in the last 25 years.
The 6-foot-9 Freeman made an immediate impact for Syracuse.
In his two seasons in Central New York, he averaged 15.3 ppg and 7.5 rebounds, all while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor. He averaged 16.5 ppg last season, which led the Orange in scoring.
Despite his individual success, Freeman did miss multiple games due to injuries across both seasons, playing in just 37 total games. Although the numbers were impressive, Freeman's sophomore season did not lead to team success. The Orange finished with a losing record of 15-17, which prompted Autry's firing after three seasons.
Why Donnie Freeman is missing the entire season
On Wednesday afternoon. Pitino took to the social media platform X to share this message:
"Donnie Freeman had successful Achilles tendon surgery performed by Dr Martin O'Malley. Donnie had a non contact injury in a workout and will miss the season. Donnie is an awesome young man, we will get him back better than ever!"
What the injury means for St. John's and Syracuse
A projected recovery time for an Achilles tendon surgery is 9-12 months. Freeman will be able to medically redshirt and retain two years of eligibility for his collegiate career. As for Syracuse, the scheduled matchup with St. John's at Madison Square Garden will be without its key storyline.
The date and time of the matchup between the Orange and Red Storm is still yet to be announced.
Syracuse Orange forward Donnie Freeman (1) with the ball as Southern Methodist University Mustangs guard Boopie Miller (2) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesOther Syracuse athletics news this week
--The transition between athletic directors is complete. John Wildhack concluded his tenure on June 30 and Bryan Blair officially became the new athletic director on July 1. Wildhack did leave Syracuse fans with a message on his final day in his role as athletic director.
--EA Sports has released its popular college football video game College Football 27 Wednesday afternoon. Find out what Orange players were ranked the highest for this year's roster.
--Five conferences competing at the Division I level, like Syracuse, have announced changes Wednesday. What type of impact could this have for Syracuse athletics into the future?
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