The announcement that Elijah Moore would be departing the Syracuse basketball program through the transfer portal was a bit of a surprise, or at least a greater one than the earlier announcements of teammates Chris Bell and Kyle Cuffe Jr. Even though Moore missed the final seven games of the season, he started 16 times in his 26 appearances, including the last dozen before he was injured.

Bell started the first 75 games of his career at Syracuse, then lost his starting spot to Lucas Taylor after a poor New Year’s Eve performance against Wake Forest was emblematic of a 2-for-19 long range shooting slump. Even though his shooting bounced back after the calendar turned to January, Bell never regained his starting spot.

In three years, Bell developed very little with the Orange, remaining essentially a 3-point specialist who contributed very little on defense or other facets of offense. Taylor was able to take on the top defensive assignment while shooting 39.0 percent from 3-point range once a starter, providing contributions on both ends of the floor.

Cuffe was the fifth guard on the roster and his departure was expected, just in the name of playing opportunity. There is nothing more to his move.

Playing opportunity is the likely reason for Moore’s departure, as well. While Moore had a spot in the starting lineup for much of this season, his minutes were sharply reduced after J.J. Starling returned from injury.

Starling missed the month of December and Moore averaged nearly twice as many minutes that month than he saw the rest of the season. That month, Moore played 23.3 minutes per game, starting four of seven contests, while averaging 12.9 minutes per game the rest of season.

As a starter with Starling in the backcourt for his last dozen games, Moore had a very short leash. He logged 12.7 minutes per game and barely shot over 30 percent from the field with Jaquan Carlos also providing competition for minutes next to Starling. And Moore’s lack of minutes during that time suggests what is coming for the Orange.

Starling played a ton of minutes for SU, averaging nearly 35 minutes per game this season. Despite starting at the position a dozen times this season, Starling was not a good point guard, averaging fewer assists and more turnovers there than as a starting shooting guard.

In addition to Starling, top-50 recruit Kiyan Anthony is coming to campus. There simply are not minutes at the two for a third player next season.

But, there are minutes at the one. Moore’s departure ensures Syracuse will be targeting a starting point guard (and probably a backup, based on the additional open roster spot) in the transfer portal.

In the current era, most college basketball players want two things –minutes and NIL compensation. The first fuels the second, so if playing time is not there, a lot of players don’t want to be, either.

So, while it is disappointing, it makes sense Moore is departing. He has limited time on campus and spending another season in a battle for backup minutes in counterproductive to those goals of playing and earning.

His departure frees up resources for the Orange and not just a roster spot. Let’s see how the other resources fill that spot.

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