5/15/2023 football Edit

FSU transfer Naheem McLeod commits to Syracuse

Saugat Sen • The Juice Online

Staff Writer

Saugat Sen is a graduate of Syracuse University. He is heavily involved with the sites social media presence as well as coverage of football, basketball and lacrosse teams.

Florida State transfer Naheem McLeod committed to Syracuse, he announced on social media. The Orange hosted McLeod on an official visit this weekend.

The 7-foot-4 center McLeod appeared in 28 games for the Seminoles in the 2022-23 season, averaging 3.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 1.2 bpg in 13.1 minutes. McLeod was a three-star Rivals prospect coming out of high school and has two years of eligibility remaining.

McLeod entered the portal in April and drew interest from a large swath of schools, including St. John’s, Villanova, Gonzaga, Arizona, Clemson, and Georgetown, among many others.

He was supposed to taken an official visit to Mississippi State on Wednesday, but canceled based on West Virginia center Jimmy Bell's commitment to the Bulldogs.

WHAT SYRACUSE IS GETTING WITH MCLEOD

Naheem is a very good shot blocker but still developing as a rebounder and has limited post moves. He wasn't a good fit for FSU's half-court defense, which requires players to switch 1 through 5. McLeod wasn't quick enough to defend guards out on the perimeter. It was a tough ask for him and he often saw limited playing time in 2022-23, even with FSU's injury-depleted roster. With Syracuse's 2-3 zone, McLeod is likely a better fit as a rim protector and he could spend more time working to refine his offensive game. He had enough moments at FSU last season — including a season-best 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a home loss to the Orange — to be encouraged by what he can offer in a reserve role.

— The Osceola's Bob Ferrante

WHAT IT MEANS FOR SYRACUSE

McLeod comes to Syracuse with an opportunity to play significant minutes after Jesse Edwards, Syracuse's incumbent center, entered the transfer portal and ultimately landed at West Virginia. While Syracuse has three other centers on its current roster, they are all inexperienced. And, as our colleague at Rivals-Florida State Bob Ferrante mentioned, he is an excellent rim protector with his 7-foot-4 frame.

Freshman Peter Carey used a medical redshirt year after appearing in just three games. Mounir Hima, a sophomore transfer from Duquesne played sparingly, averaging 7.4 mpg. Incoming freshman William Patterson is widely considered a project that will take several seasons to develop.

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