Coach Speak: What Syracuse is Getting in Donnie Freeman

Team Takeover coach Jon Taylor breaks down Freeman's game.

Syracuse basketball landed a huge commitment on Thursday in 2024 forward Donnie Freeman. All Syracuse caught up with Team Takeover assistant coach Jon Taylor, who has coached Freeman since eighth grade, to get more insight into the player the Orange is getting. 

Q: Give a scouting report of Donnie Freeman. 

Taylor: "Donnie Freeman is a pretty much a 6-10 forward who can do it all. He can rebound, he can shoot, he can score at all three levels. He is a versatile player and can do it all. He has certain weaknesses in his game, and he's still tackling that, but overall, offensive wise, he can do it all. Defensively he can guard the two through the five. He's definitely a versatile defender as well. 

Q: What are some of those areas he needs to work on?

Taylor: "Definitely needs to get stronger. He can work on that and needs to add on muscle to get ready for college. Ball handling and extending his range as well." 

Q: Where have you seen the biggest improvement in his game?

Taylor: "When I first started coaching him in the eighth grade, he was pretty much just a five man. Jump hooks, block shots, rebound type of guy. Now since seeing him at St. John's and with Takeover over the course of the years, he has turned himself into an all around player. He can shoot, he can rebound, he can steal, do all of the big man stuff. He's actually added stuff to his game where now he can create his own shot, shoot over the top of defenders and plays with a much higher IQ now. That's the biggest improvement in his game." 

Q: What is Freeman's ceiling?

Taylor: "Donnie definitely has high expectations and high goals. We talk about that on a daily or weekly basis. For me, personally, I believe he can be a potential NBA player. Donnie still has to put the work in, just like anybody else that's going to college. You're competing against thousands of others players, so you have to figure out what separates yourself from them. It's going to be the work ethic when you have the measurables that the NBA is looking for, but the work still has to be done." 

Q: What is he like outside of the basketball skills in terms of as a teammate and off the court?

Taylor: "He loves his teammates. He definitely wants to push and wants people to push him. When it comes to his teammates, just hold him accountable because he's also going to hold them accountable as well. Sometimes from the outside looking in, we forget these are just kids. Sixteen, 17, year old kids. He's still a kid that wants to have fun, go out, be with his friends, laugh, joke around."  

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