Pitino Persuades Freeman to Pick St. John's Over Kentucky
Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman says Rick Pitino's pitch convinced him to choose St. John’s over Kentucky, as the legendary coach addressed everything Freeman wanted in a program and coach.
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Donnie Freeman picks St. John's as Kentucky hunts late frontcourt help
Donnie Freeman committed to St. John's over Kentucky as the transfer portal deadline looms, leaving UK to scramble for frontcourt help with Freeman and Sebastian Rancik off the board. Kentucky has two transfer commitments and several targets visiting (Gabe Dynes, Justin McBride), while Jerone Morton will visit Friday and a few other portal options (Allen Graves, Milan Mimcilovic) remain in play, though expensive. Braydon Hawthorne's future remains uncertain as the portal churn continues and the deadline approaches.
Donnie Freeman Transfers from Syracuse to St. John’s Through Portal
Former Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman committed to St. John’s via the NCAA Transfer Portal, entering his junior year after averaging 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 23 appearances (21 starts) for the Orange this season. He chose St. John’s over Kentucky, Alabama and UConn, joining a Red Storm program that just finished 30-7 and won the Big East regular season and tournament titles.
Kentucky at a High-Stakes Crossroads in Donnie Freeman Recruitment
Kentucky finds itself at a high-stakes moment in the transfer portal as Donnie Freeman narrows his choices to UK, St. John’s, and Tennessee. UK was the only program to host Freeman recently and looked poised for a commitment, but momentum has shifted toward St. John’s, and landing Freeman may require an NIL package north of $3 million. Complicating the decision is Sebastian Rancik’s commitment to Florida State, leaving Mark Pope’s staff to decide whether to overpay for Freeman or pivot to scarcer portal options. Longstanding concerns about Kentucky’s front-office development and its NIL budget narrative add pressure and risk if Freeman underperforms or if UK is perceived as overpaying. In the meantime, UK’s backcourt looks solid, but the path to a starting-four via the portal remains murky, underscoring a broader era of leverage and drama in college basketball recruiting.
Syracuse Falls Short in Close ACC Opener Against Clemson
Syracuse nearly completed a comeback against Clemson led by Donnie Freeman, who scored 18 points in his return from injury, but fell short with a 64-61 loss, hampered by poor shooting and turnovers.
Peach Jam Dominance: High School Sensation Leads Team to Finals
Donnie Freeman, a Syracuse commit, made crucial contributions to help Team Takeover defeat Mokan Elite in the Peach Jam Invitational semifinals, despite his numbers not being as impressive as in previous games.