An early portal option for Red Autry to consider
It’s never too early to start looking through names in the transfer portal – something that Syracuse Orange men’s basketball learned the hard way this past year.
With conference tournaments wrapped up and the NCAA Field of 68 set, the first wave of portal enrollment has begun. One player to watch is among the mass exodus from Iona: 6’0″, 170 lbs. guard Dejour Reaves, a rising senior who was born and raised in Syracuse.
Reaves originally planned to return to the Gaels next season, but he and most of his teammates chose to leave after head coach Tobin Anderson was abruptly dismissed. He averaged a team-high 17.3 points along with 5.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals, leading Iona to a MAAC finals appearance.
Iona guard Dejour Reaves, an All-MAAC 1st teamer, is entering the transfer portal, his agent @DanielPoneman tells @On3sports.
The 6-0 senior from Syracuse, NY averaged 17.3 PPG this season. https://t.co/P2CLLLOA7Y pic.twitter.com/XltI0vmWJx
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 17, 2025
Reaves is a rare new breed in college hoops: the 5th-year senior. He never redshirted, but instead played two years at Trinidad State, a community college. NCAA rules now stipulate that time spent at a JUCO will only count as one year of eligibility, leaving him with one remaining. Reaves spent 2023-24 with Northern Colorado before transferring to his home state.
As our man who knows MAAC ball Sam Federman puts it, Reaves is a pure scorer, not a traditional point guard. The Orange certainly need more than one scoring option – their entire offense fell flat when J.J. Starling was out of the lineup last season.
Reaves played high school basketball at Corcoran, defeating Starling and Baldwinsville for the Section III Class AA title in 2020. He also set the program’s all-time points record during his senior year.
Here’s a look at “Daedae” in action:
SU currently has four open scholarships for the upcoming season, adding two thanks to another NCAA rule change. That number could increase if any currently-rostered guys choose to enter the portal themselves.
Adrian Autry also has four recruits secured in the freshmen class: Top-40 prospects Kiyan Anthony and Sadiq White, Australian combo guard Luke Fennell, and three-star small forward Aaron Womack.
Would you like to see Reaves come home with the Orange? Let us know below and shout out some other names in the portal you’d like us to cover.