Donnie Freeman, a four-star power forward from the 2024 recruiting cycle, committed to Syracuse on 247Sports Thursday over Alabama, Texas, Iowa and Georgia Tech. Freeman is the No. 32 player in the country and No. 6 PF in the 2024 class, per 247Sports. Freeman also held offers from Georgetown, Kansas State, LSU, Marquette, Maryland, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and Xavier among others.
"I chose Syracuse because coach (Adrian) Autry has been recruiting me for a very long time and I've had the strongest relationship with him out of any other coach," Freeman told 247Sports. "Also, bringing (assistant) coach Brendan (Straughn) from St. Joe's was huge. The relationship was already there with them and they have great relationships with past DMV players. I felt it was the best opportunity for me to come in, make an immediate impact and achieve my goals."
From St. John's High School in Washington, D.C., Freeman is the second player Syracuse has committed in its 2024 recruiting class. Elijah Moore, a four-star guard, committed to the program in January. This is the first player new Syracuse coach Adrian Autry landed in the 2024 class since his promotion following Jim Boeheim's departure at the end of the season.
"The staff wants to get back to the tradition Syracuse has had in the past," Freeman told 247Sports. "They told me they will be dropping out of the zone and we'll see more man principles. This style of play fits me perfectly because I get to show my athleticism, agility and things like that. No knock on the zone, but man will help me showcase my game better."
