Syracuse Basketball: Why Eddie Lampkin Jr. is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

A number of years have passed since we could consider Syracuse as one of the top basketball programs in the country. The Orange were in a state of transition last season under new head coach Adrian Autry following nearly a half century under Jim Boeheim’s leadership. There was new talent and positive moments as Syracuse finished 5th in the ACC, though the Orange fell short of the Big Dance yet again.

Last year’s team was built on youth, as the roster lacked a senior and much of the rotation consisted of sophomores. Unfortunately not all of those talented players are back, as Judah Mintz is off to the NBA while Quadir Copeland and Maliq Brown both transferred. The Orange will get JJ Starling and Chris Bell back for their junior years and added a fair bit of talent in the offseason as well.

In addition to a few new freshman, Syracuse also added four names in the Transfer Portal in recent months. They added backcourt depth with Jaquan Carlos, a point guard from Hofstra, and Lucas Taylor out of Georgia State. Autry and company got quite the steal with former Delaware forward Jyare Davis and his great production last year as a junior, though we’re focusing on the fourth name today.

Eddie Lampkin is a 6’11 center originally from Texas who definitely fills a need for the Orange at the back end. He spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at TCU before spending his redshirt junior year at Colorado last year. He took a step forward both in production and responsibility, averaging 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with the Buffaloes.

With rising talent in the backcourt and a few intriguing additions at forward, the Orange are now hoping that they can slide Lampkin into this lineup and see him become a major playmaker. While not known as a shot blocker, Lampkin is a strong interior scorer and efficient rebounder and he immediately becomes the best rebounder on this roster.

We’ll see Starling, Bell, and a few others continue to emerge as prominent scorers and shooters, meaning Syracuse won’t need Lampkin to do too much. That’s not to say he’s just a warm body thrown under the rim; his rebounding and interior skills should fit well in this system, especially on a roster that lacks size among their most experienced players.

Last year was about growth and development for a young Syracuse roster, but the addition of Lampkin and others certainly added veteran experience and other potential for the Orange. With the ACC growing by three schools in the offseason, the road ahead gets even more interesting in this league. Can this be a breakthrough season for Syracuse? Will Lampkin take another step forward, developing even further as a paint presence?