After originally planning to stay, the rising junior guard hits the portal for a second time
Syracuse Orange men’s basketball has their first firm news regarding the transfer portal – and it’s of one of their own leaving.
Guard Kyle Cuffe, who has been part of the Orange the past two years, will put his name in for the second time in his college career. He had previously told our own James Szuba and Syracuse.com’s Donna Ditota that he would be staying with Syracuse.
Cuffe, originally a Kansas Jayhawks recruit, joined SU after only playing two games as a redshirt freshman. He played exclusively off the bench the past two years, averaging 5.1 points and 1.1 assists in 12.4 minutes of game action last season.
NEWS: Syracuse guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. will enter the transfer portal, his NIL Rep Trevor Harris of Devore Sports Group tells @On3sports.
The 6-2 junior averaged 5.1 PPG this season. Began his career at Kansas. https://t.co/ctV8bXtM0q pic.twitter.com/5tZWjYA9U9
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 21, 2025
Although he was listed as a redshirt junior this past season, Cuffe stated that he has two years of eligibility left – meaning he was granted a medical waiver for his second year in Kansas, when he required knee surgery. Medical redshirts can be applied so long as an injury occurred within the first ten games of the season, and the player is ruled medically unable to compete the rest of the year.
With Cuffe’s supposed departure, the Orange will now have five available scholarship slots for 2025-26. They have been in contact with a few players already, including Drexel’s Kobe MaGee and North Dakota State’s Jacari White.
SU also has a returning group of six players – if no one else enters the portal, that is – and four freshmen recruits, including four-stars Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White.
What are your thoughts on Cuffe leaving SU?