WOLFERETTI: Syracuse sophomore Donnie Freeman makes me nervous. He looks like Dereon Seabron with a jumper.

I’m usually confined to postgame recaps, but today I’m here with a pregame warning.

NC State needs to find a way to shut down 6’9 Syracuse sophomore, Donnie Freeman.

Haven’t heard of him? Well, it’s probably because he’s always injured.

He was sidelined for the season last January with a ‘Jones Fracture,’ which is a pretty complicated foot injury. He then played the first four games of this season before going down with another foot injury (supposedly not related, but who knows).

When he played as a freshman, he was good. He averaged 13 points and 8 boards, while shooting 50% from the floor and 33% from 3.

This year, Freeman is even better.

For NC State fans, if you want my Wolfpack comp, think Dereon Seabron, but 2 inches taller and with a jumper.

For those of you who don’t remember Seabron, he was a 6’7 slasher who moved like a guard, could get downhill fast, and presented mismatches whenever he touched the ball. He eventually was so good with the basketball (and NC State had no other options that year) that they moved him to PG.

Donnie Freeman isn’t quite as athletic, fast or shifty as Seabron. And I’m talking more of the ‘slasher’ version of Seabron prior to the move to PG, but he’s 6’9, can handle it well, and is agile and balanced on his drives. But unlinke Seabron, Freeman can keep you honest with a nice jumper.

The 6’9 wing has taken a big leap this season and is easily Syracuse’s best player. He’s averaging almost 19 points, 7 boards and almost 2 assists. He’s shooting 51% from the floor and 33% from 3. He’s played in 11 games this season and has only scored under 18 in 3 of them. He has games of 27, 25 and 22.

This guys is emerging as a future NBA player.

Syracuse 6’10 Sophomore Donnie Freeman has been one of the best returning prospects in this year’s NBA Draft and has made a strong first round case.

For the season Freeman is averaging 20/7/2 while shooting 54% from the field and 38% from three on 4 attempts a game.

Freeman… pic.twitter.com/TphzY5HwzB

— KJ (@KJScouting) January 15, 2026

Here are some more of his highlights.

NC State is going to send a lot of man-power at Freeman and do their best to put him into uncomfortable situations. However, they really don’t have a great 1 on 1 matchup for him (not many teams do), so this might be a game where you might see them blitzing, doubling, or sending help to get the ball out of his hands. That means open shooters.

If you’re looking at Syracuse as a whole. They don’t shoot it well. Just 33% from 3 as a team, but you know the drill. State will need to keep an eye on guys like Nate Kingz, who shoots it at 35% from 3, but will likely see more open looks if the Pack tries to take away Freeman.

The other option is to bait Freeman into contested shots. He knows he has to be the scorer for this team and he’s going to get his shots up. But I think, ate least initially, you can see how hot he is. If he’s hitting, maybe switch it up and get the ball out of his hands. But if not, shots like these will do…

When I say Syracuse needs to find better and more creative ways to get Donnie Freeman good shots…this is what I mean.

All of Donnie’s shots from last night: pic.twitter.com/JiTjrViqi5

— Shields on Hoops (@ShieldsOnHoops) January 23, 2026

If you’re NC State, what would you do? Let Freeman try to get his and stifle everyone else, or take away Freeman and see if the role players can beat you?

This, to me, is the question of the game. If they can shut down Freeman, they win this game. If they can’t, or if they come out cold, this is no gimme. Syracuse is dangerous if they get rolling.