By ADAM ZAGORIA
Donnie Freeman, the 6-foot-9 Class of 2024 forward from St. John’s (DC) and Team Takeover, committed to Syracuse on Thursday.
Ranked as the 32nd ranked prospect in the national class of 2024, he chose the Orange over Alabama, Iowa, Georgia Tech and Texas.
“I’ll be going to Syracuse University,” he announced with Adam Finkelstein on 247Sports.com.
New Syracuse coach Adrian Autry added former Team Takeover assistant Brenden Straughn to his coaching staff early last month and Freeman then visited with his family.
“I talked to [Autry] last week and he said he how much he cared about me,” Freeman said.
“I bring energy every day, you’re getting a winner, you’re getting a competitor. And Syracuse basketball is back, trying to get it back where it was. And that’s why I’m going, to try to win a national championship.”
He helped lead St. John’s to a WCAC championship this past season by averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. “Donnie has the skillset to space the floor and nail a 3, trailing the play or picking and popping,” St. John’s coach Pat Behan told ZAGSBLOG. “He really impacts the game when he’s in attack mode. He has the rare ability to get to spots at the elbow and in the paint and score over contests because of his length. His athleticism and length makes him an elite threat at the rim especially in transition. He’s a good rebounder and developed into a shot blocker this year.” Said Takeover coach Jamill Jones: “Donavan Freeman has tremendous upside. He is a very athletic, high-motor forward whose skillset is perimeter oriented and developing which will allow him to excel Day One on a college campus. With a year of maturity and added strength the sky is the limit for him”. Freeman joins Cardinal Hayes (NY) shooting guard Elijah Moore in Syracuse’s 2024 class. Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on Facebook “ Where will he choose?Syracuse official!🧡✅ pic.twitter.com/S7DJYqtaS6
— Donnie Freeman (@DonavanFreeman1) April 8, 2023
