In the least surprising news of the young offseason for the Syracuse basketball program, Kaleb Joseph will transfer from the Orange, multiple reports have confirmed. Joseph, who started 30 games as a freshman, saw his playing time disappear almost entirely as a sophomore this season.
It’s probably the best move for both parties, as it frees up another scholarship for Syracuse while allowing Joseph to find a landing spot where he’ll have a chance to play with lowered expectations and pressure. I still believe Joseph can be a solid guard, particularly if he winds up in a smaller conference, like the America East (he’s from Nashua, New Hampshire, remember, so that conference would make a lot of sense).
This season, Joseph played in just 19 games, averaging 6.7 minutes per game. That’s down from 27.3 minutes per game as a freshman. He averaged 0.9 points and 0.7 assists this year, also down from averages of 5.9 and 3.8 a year ago. At 6-foot-3 and with terrific athleticism, he’s got the tools to be a standout player at a program like, for example, Vermont or New Hampshire or Boston University. And yes, I’m sticking with the whole “America East” thing since it really makes sense to me, on multiple levels. That said, he may prefer trying to stay with a P5 program, or at least a team in the new Big East or American.
By all accounts, Joseph was an outstanding teammate this year despite how rough the season must have been for him. He was always enthusiastic and excited for his teammates on the bench, and handled his situation with the utmost class and dignity. Here’s hoping he has a chance to land somewhere that really works for him and have a great career. He’ll have two years left after sitting out next season.
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