Syracuse, N.Y. ― Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman will not be available to play in the Orange’s game against Tennessee on Tuesday, per a university spokesperson.
SU director of athletic communications Pete Moore confirmed Freeman’s status in an email.
Freeman, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, was SU’s leading scorer at 17.8 points per game through the Orange’s first four games this season. Syracuse won all four games.
But Freeman sat out each of Syracuse’s three games at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas last week. His right foot was in a walking boot.
Syracuse lost all three games in Vegas. The Orange dropped an overtime heart-breaker to Houston, then lost 71-60 to Kansas and then got blown out 95-64 by Iowa State on the final day of the tournament.
All three of SU’s opponents are ranked in the top 20 of the NCAA’s NET rankings, which were just released on Monday.
Tennessee comes into Tuesday’s game at the JMA Dome ranked 13th in the NET.
Freeman missed the last 19 games of the 2024-25 season with an injury to the same foot.
Last week, Autry said Freeman’s current injury was not season-ending, instead describing it as a “quick pause.’’
“I don’t have all the details,’’ Autry said after SU’s game versus Houston, ”but this is not something that will be season-ending, or anything like that.’’
