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Redshirt freshman forward John Bol Ajak has entered the transfer portal as of Monday, according to multiple reports.

Ajak, a former 3-star recruit from Paoli, Pennsylvania, played sparingly for Syracuse. After redshirting his freshman year, he appeared in 10 games for a total of 51 minutes this season.

The 6-foot-10 forward is the first SU player to enter the transfer portal this cycle. Verbal Commits was the first to report Ajak’s decision.

Ajak was well-liked on SU’s team. In Indianapolis, he filmed a charming video giving a glimpse into what the team was up to.

There recently has been a major flurry of transfers, as the NCAA is expected to approve the one-time transfer waiver that will allow players who haven’t already transferred to play right away at their new school. This rule applied during the 2020-21 season, giving recently transferred players like Alan Griffin the opportunity to transfer and play.

SU head coach Jim Boeheim has supported the rule, but he also cautioned against unintended ramifications, such as athletes transferring out of adverse situations instead of fighting through them.

“There’s going to be a lot of transfers,” Boeheim said after SU’s season-ending loss to Houston. “We’re not going to be immune to it. Anybody that’s not playing a lot or unhappy, they think — they could be perfectly good kids, perfectly happy. But they think they should play more or shoot more, whatever it may be, and players are going to leave.”

Published on March 29, 2021 at 4:39 pm

Contact Danny: dremerma@syr.edu | @DannyEmerman