Syracuse, NY – Donnie Freeman is back and it’s impossible to underestimate his impact on the Syracuse Orange.
In his first start since returning from a foot injury that caused him to miss nine games, Freeman exploded in Syracuse’s 82-72 win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday, scoring a career-high 27 points along with nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
The numbers are impressive, but they only tell part of the story of how Freeman has completely transformed Syracuse’s offensive approach.
On the latest Inside Syracuse Basketball podcast, former Orange point guard Brandon Triche said Syracuse’s offense has to go through the talented forward.
“It’s like Syracuse has to play through him, you know what I mean?” Triche said.
The podcast highlighted a critical strategic insight: when Freeman doesn’t touch the ball, the Orange offense stagnates. During Syracuse’s second-half scoring drought against Georgia Tech, Freeman went 10 minutes without attempting a shot — not coincidentally, the exact time frame when the Orange’s lead evaporated from 20 points to five.
In addition to Freeman being the focal point of SU’s offense, Triche also said he would like to see Freeman take an inside-out approach to solidify the offense.
“I think it starts with Donnie and his mentality first, doesn’t it?” Triche said. “I think, and I said this, I think, a few podcasts ago, instead of starting outside inside, he started inside out, right?” His ability to attack the paint and be tough down there really suits Syracuse because now they’re getting guys in foul trouble and he can make free throws.”
This inside-out approach could have a ripple effect on the rest of Orange. When Freeman takes position and demands defensive attention, the entire floor opens up:
“He’s making double teams now,” Triche said. “Now you get Kiyan for an open three. Now you get Nate Kingz for the open three or even, you know, Tyler Betsey, right? So now instead of these guys forcing threes, now it’s catch and shoot and stuff like that.”
Triche said he was encouraged by Freeman’s growth as a decision maker.
“When I (watched) him freshman year, I felt like every time he got the ball, he felt like he had to go for the bucket, right? It looked forced,” Triche said. “Now that his skills are growing, I feel like he does it naturally. And it looks easy for him.”
To hear a full breakdown of Freeman’s impact and other perspectives on Syracuse basketball, use the links provided in this story and check out the full Inside Syracuse Basketball podcast with Mike Waters and Brandon Trich.
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