With the Syracuse basketball season officially finished the focus shifts to player retention and roster-building.
Syracuse Orange men’s basketball guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. plans to return to the program for the 2025-26 season, he told Nunes Magician. Cuffe, a senior academically, has two seasons of basketball eligibility remaining. He and head coach Adrian Autry had not had end of season conversations by the time this reporting took place, but the two have spoken throughout the basketball season about returning.
“I plan to be back,” Cuffe said. “Coach Red and I had conversations for me coming back. That’s the plan.”
Cuffe transferred to Syracuse from Kansas in the summer of 2023 as part of Autry’s first transfer portal class along with JJ Starling, Chance Westry and Naheem McLeod. He sought to play closer to his home of Harlem, N.Y.
Cuffe redshirted his freshman season at Kansas in 2021-22 as the Jayhawks made the run all the way to the National Championship. He returned to Bill Self’s program for the 2022-23 season, only to tear his MCL and PCL and sit a second season from the sideline with the Jayhawks. Cuffe suffered a broken right hand in the summer he transferred to Syracuse.
Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images
Cuffe managed to carve out a role for himself in his first two seasons with the Orange by playing defense and bringing energy off the bench. He often draws the assignment of guarding opposing teams’ best scorers. His aggression can lead him to be overzealous at times, resulting in miscues. At times there are drives to the rim with abandon. Cuffe is also eager to have an impact on the game and make plays, something Syracuse needed at various points this season.
Like many successful Orange role players before him, Cuffe plays with determination takes pride in doing the little things that the team needs. He’s been an exemplary teammate during his time at Syracuse.
Cuffe was familiar with multiple players on the 2023-24 Syracuse team before transferring in. He knew walk-on Anthony Clayton. There was familiarity with this year’s Syracuse team, too. He grew up playing AAU basketball with Jaquan Carlos. Being from New York City, he was acquainted with Elijah Moore before the freshman enrolled at SU.
“I love Syracuse. Coming here was a big thing for me. A lot of people on the team last year I grew up with,” Cuffe said. “The connections made me feel more comfortable coming here. I’ve had one of the best times of my life here the last two years.”
Syracuse will attempt to right the ship in 2026 and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Autry. As part of that push, the Orange bring in a top ten recruiting class of four members headlined by Sadiq White and Kiyan Anthony.
“I know Kiyan personally,” Cuffe said. “I know his family. I’m excited for him to come. He’s going to help us out a lot.”
The Orange will lose its four transfer portal seniors from the 2024-25 team along with McLeod — all five players are out of eligibility. Starling, Westry, Chris Bell, Donnie Freeman, Elijah Moore and Petar Majstorovic all have eligibility remaining. Cuffe expects that he will not be the only player of the latter cohort with eligibility remaining to return to Syracuse.
Cuffe averaged 5.1 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game in 30 appearances for the Orange.