William Patterson Details Syracuse Basketball Commitment

The class of 2023 big goes in depth on his pledge to the Orange.

Syracuse basketball picked up a commitment from 7-2 big man William Patterson in the 2023 class on Monday. All Syracuse caught up with him to discuss why he picked the Orange over TCU, Oklahoma State and Rutgers. 

"A couple reasons actually," Patterson said. "One is the fan base and two is the coaching staff. The coaching staff welcomed me with open arms and so did the fan base. The coaching staff is like actual family because I've known them for a while. They've been recruiting me for the longest time. I felt very special to know that an ACC school would want me in their school. It was very heartwarming."

Patterson said Syracuse was in a good position going into this past weekend's official visit, but it was the fans who helped seal the deal while he attended the Orange's game against Duke. 

"Going in, I already had that feeling that this would be the right fit," Patterson said. "There was one part of the visit, during the Duke game, a lot of people came up to me, dabbed me up, shook my hands, wanting to take pictures. I even heard fans chanting my name during the game. It was like imagine myself playing here and they're chanting my name when I'm on the court. That would be amazing."

Another memorable part of his visit was when Dick Vitale stopped over to say hello. 

"That was heartwarming," Patterson said. "In the picture you can see I have a serious face, but the serious face was the only way for me to not cry tears of joy. Knowing Dickie V and being in his presence, his presence shook the whole bench around me and behind me. For him to come up and take a picture with me, shake my hand, it was the best thing ever." 

What can Syracuse fans expect from Patterson when he arrives this summer?

"These guys can expect a lot of energy," Patterson said. "If you guys give me the energy I need, I'll give you guys ten times the energy back on the court. You've just got to believe in me. Trust the process. Let's make something really big happen. Off the court, just expect a nice guy. I'm tall but I'm a nice guy. I'm not a mean guy. You should not be scared by me, I'm very friendly." 

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