Syracuse basketball has landed a commitment from Australian combo guard Luke Fennell, it was announced on Wednesday. Fennell, a 6-6 guard, chose the Orange over California, Florida, Louisville, St. Bonaventure and others. He becomes the third member of Syracuse basketball’s 2025 recruiting class, which also includes composite five star forward Sadiq White and wing Aaron Womack. Fennell is known as a guard who excels with the ball in his hands, makes his teammates better, distributes well and has a great outside shot. His length makes him an intriguing option especially as a potential point guard at the next level.
“Committing to Syracuse was the most seamless process,” Fennell said via his agent Daniel Moldovan. “The fit felt right from the very first conversation. I’ve developed a great rapport with Coach (Autry) since the process started. A school with such a rich history and a style of play that suits my game is just a great fit for me.”
While Fennell has not visited the Syracuse campus in person, the Orange has been involved with him for a little over a month, according to a source. Syracuse prioritized him as a top target for its 2025 class during that time, recruiting him extremely hard.
What type of player is Syracuse getting? 247Sports National Basketball Analyst Travis Branham breaks down his game as follows.
“He is a big guard who is really skilled with a high IQ for the game. He’s not the most athletic but he’s a kid who knows how to get to his spots. He is a capable scorer at all three-levels and is very comfortable operating out of ball screens and has some playmaking ability. He is a high floor guy who can come and make an immediate contribution and has the potential to be a multiple year starter.”
Fennell signed with the SE Melbourne Phoenix of the NBL as a development player for the 2024-25 season. He was previously part of the NBA Global Academy based in Canberra’s Australian Institute of Sports. Last month, he led Australia to the FIBA U18 Asia Cup Gold Medal. In the semifinal game, Fennell scored a game-high 24 points including going 5-10 from beyond the arc along with five rebounds and four assists. He added 11 points in the gold medal match against New Zealand. He also led Australia to a gold medal in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament this past spring, topping Serbia in the gold medal match. He led the team in assists (2.4 per game), while also averaging 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
When Fennell signed with the Phoenix in May, General Manager of Basketball Operations Simon Mitchell was ecstatic.
“It’s great to have Luke officially join us at the Phoenix,” Mitchell said. “We know a number of teams were after his services and it’s great that one of Australia’s brightest talents has chosen to stay in the Heartland. Luke gets to stay in the South East of Melbourne and develop within the world class facilities we now have at the State Basketball Centre. Additionally, Luke will bring a great amount of skill and energy to our squad and we look forward to having him as part of our program.”
The game of basketball has become more and more global over the last few decades. That has become more prevalent in college recruiting as well, with international players becoming coveted targets even when they do not come to the United States to play high school ball. Syracuse has had success with international players in the past as well, including recent examples such as Marek Dolezaj and Jesse Edwards.
SUPPORT CUSENATION.COM
SUBSCRIBE TO CUSENATION TO ACCESS TO VIP ARTICLES AND THE VIP MANLEY ZOO FORUM
FOLLOW PUBLISHER MIKE MCALLISTER ON X (FKA TWITTER)
FOLLOW CUSENATION ON X (FKA TWITTER)
