Syracuse picks up another transfer from the West.
The Syracuse Orange men’s basketball team secured its fifth transfer portal pickup late Wednesday night, adding a veteran guard from the Big Sky Conference.
Bryce Zephir, a six-foot-four guard from Montana State, committed to the Orange late Wednesday night. He made the announcement on social media.
Zephir served in several roles for the Bobcats in 2024-25, playing in 29 games and starting in Montana State’s final 15 games. He averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.6 steals in 19.6 minutes per game. He shot 47% from the field, just under 30% from three and 61.5% from the foul line.
God’s work and timing #committed pic.twitter.com/bhphHAhjLS
— Bryce Zephir (@ZephirBryce) April 17, 2025
Zephir’s collegiate journey is a fascinating one. He began at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida, a school which is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association. He averaged 6.1 points in 18.3 minutes per game with Chipola in 2020-21.
From there, Zephir committed to North Texas for the 2021-2022 season. He played sparingly that year, averaging just over three minutes per game in 11 contests, then redshirted the following season.
The Carson, California native then moved from one time zone to another. Zephir served as team captain for Salt Lake Community College, another NJCAA program. He would play in 32 games (24 as a starter) and average 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 25.5 minutes per game.
Zephir’s play helped guide the Salt Lake to a 30-4 overall record and the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season title in 2023-24. Zephir earned an All-Conference third-team selection and Salt Lake also secured a spot in the 2024 NJCAA National Tournament.
Most recently, Zephir returned to Division I hoops with the Bobcats. He will join the Orange with one year of eligibility remaining.
Zephir joins a crowded Syracuse backcourt depth that includes J.J. Starling, Georgia Tech transfer Naithan George, Oregon State transfer Nate Kingz, Kiyan Anthony and Luke Fennell.
He’ll likely be an insurance piece off the Orange’s bench. Zephir brings a reputation as a guard that can solidly defend both backcourt positions, bring energy and make the occasional play. Offensively, he doesn’t appear to be great at any one skill (especially the outside shooting, which has waxed and waned over his collegiate career), but in small bursts can do a bit of everything and at least brings overall experience to the table.
An additional perimeter player also helps considering the Orange did lose Elijah Moore, Kyle Cuffe and Chris Bell to the portal.
With Zephir on the team, the Orange now have four remaining scholarships for the 2025-26 season.