The Syracuse Orange and St. John’s Red Storm both opened the 2026-27 college basketball season on Monday night. Both did it without Donnie Freeman.
Freeman is missed by both programs, for different reasons.
They may not have missed him intensely on Monday night, but the time will come soon enough.
The Orange were taking on New Haven and handled them, although head coach Gerry McNamara wasn’t pleased with the performance.
The Johnnies handled Monmouth in a 15-point victory that was already a blowout at halftime before a ho-hum second half.
Freeman didn’t feature in either game, but interestingly, his name showed up in Google Trends throughout Monday evening — at least one fanbase, if not both, were searching for Freeman, wondering what his present and future hold.
Donnie Freeman Left Syracuse
Freeman chose after last season to transfer away from SU.
He had spent his first two seasons with the Orange after being a high-ranking recruit, and he was seeking a more prominent contender after two years of missing the NCAA Tournament.
Freeman considered a number of programs, including blue-blood Kentucky, before ending up at St. John’s to play for Rick Pitino.
It was a huge loss for Syracuse, which got 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game from Freeman last season when he was able to be healthy and on the court.
The Orange brought in a whole host of new players to play for their new coach, McNamara. There might’ve been some thought to being able to retain Freeman, but it didn’t happen.
Why Donnie Freeman Isn’t Playing For St. John’s
Freeman also isn’t on the court for St. John’s right now, though, after his transfer.
That’s because he tore his Achilles during an offseason workout. That immediately ended his season before it even began.
All Freeman can do now is watch as the Johnnies try to compete for a Big East title and a national championship.
The hope for St. John’s will be that Freeman can have a smooth recovery that sets him up for a big 2027-28 season. It’s just a bummer for all involved, because Freeman had the chance to be a centerpiece of this year’s roster, and instead he’s sidelined with an injury sustained before the year.
If it matters down the road, Freeman could likely get a medical redshirt year so that he doesn’t lose this season of eligibility. But that’s a future concern.
For now, St. John’s plays without Freeman, and so does Syracuse. He’ll be a forgotten man for this college basketball season.
Syracuse, St. John’s Both Miss Donnie Freeman — For Different Reasons