This has not been an ideal transfer period for Syracuse. Kadary Richmond and Robert Braswell entered the portal searching for more playing time (or a different situation). It is a sign of the times that college hoops powers are losing talent everywhere. It may even push some of the Hall of Fame coaches into a speedy retirement.
But the flip side of that coin is that power programs can also attract new talent. Syracuse has already added Symir Torrence and Cole Swider. How about another addition in Tyon Grant-Foster? The 6’7″ junior guard entered the portal last Monday and the Fizz spotlighted him as a potential fit. He spent his first two years at junior college, then joined the Jayhawks this season where he only averaged 3 points per game. 247 Sports tabbed him as a 4-star recruit out of HS and he turned down teams like Arkansas, LSU, Texas and Oregon.
He was rated as one of the best JuCo players in the country before choose Kansas, a school just 45 minutes from his hometown of Kansas City, Kansas. He was named one of the most notable names to enter the portal, which is impressive considering there’s over 1,000 players there now.
“He never really found his footing (at Kansas) and despite showing flashes of excellence he just couldn’t secure a place in the Jayhawks rotation. He’s long, he’s athletic and he can create one on one.” – Eric Bossi, 247 Sports
In his second season at Indian Hills CC, he led the team in scoring at 16.5 points per game and blocked shots with 48. He could score in bunches, netting 35 points against State Fair Community College and had 11 games of 20 or more points. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocked shots as Indian Hills went 30-3 prior to the pandemic.
“I love the kid. He’s a great human being. A sweet spirit. He’s terrific. He just hasn’t had the opportunities. It’s hard to give guys opportunities when you haven’t seen some consistency.” – Bill Self
TGF scored 13 points in a blowout of Omaha, but couldn’t find his way onto the floor once conference play started. He was relegated to the bench and Bill Self didn’t see much potential in putting him in. But at Syracuse could the Orange guarantee him enough minutes to lure him to CNY? He’s a natural scorer, and will be one of the most targeted transfers. He’s at least worth keeping an eye on.
Leave a Reply