Syracuse men’s basketball announced on social media Tuesday J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman will be returning to the Orange for the 2025-26 season. Starling is entering his senior season while Freeman returns for his sophomore campaign. Freeman entered his freshman year as SU’s highest-ranked recruit since Carmelo Anthony, but his season was cut short due to a season-ending injury. Starling emerged as SU’s leading scorer after Judah Mintz’s departure, tallying 17.8 points per game. Click the link in our bio to read more about Starling and Freeman’s decisions to return to SU. Photograph by @Lj.Lenns.