Syracuse got some good news on Sunday, as star forward Oshae Brissett announced that he will be returning to school for his sophomore season.
Brissett is a 6-foot-8 forward from Canada that averaged 14.9 points and 8.8 boards for the Orange as a freshman, making 33 percent of his threes in the process. He wasn’t a likely first round pick this year, but if he can become a more consistent three-point shooter, there is a chance he could play his way into the first round next season.
The news of Brissett’s decision isn’t all that surprising, but it is quite important for Syracuse, who has been crushed by unexpected departures in the last eight months. Taurean Thompson transferred to Seton Hall before the season began. Matthew Moyer transferred out of the program after the season ended. Darius Bazley, a top ten prospect in the Class of 2018, is heading to the G League instead of spending a season playing at Syracuse.
The Orange thrive on the long, lanky athletes of Brissett’s ilk, and if he had left, Jim Boeheim would have lost four of them in the span of eight months.
Now, Syracuse fans will wait and see if Tyus Battle makes the decision to return to school for his junior year.