NEW YORK — The Darius Bazley who could have been at Syracuse this fall wore a stern face Sunday night at Barclays Center following the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic. As reporters flocked to the Top-10 recruit, he reflected on what was lined up to be, what could have transpired in central New York beginning this fall and the type of player he could have been at SU.  

“The hardest thing was not being able to play in a type of situation like that, the Carrier Dome,” Bazley said. “That probably would’ve been an amazing experience, but I’m going to play at the NBA level and that’s — and that’s better than … You’re in an NBA arena.

“When I was out there, my heart was just beating,” Bazley continued. “I’m looking around like, ‘Wow.’ One day, I’ll be able to play against somebody here or play here. But, the biggest thing, the hardest thing giving up was stepping away from those coaches. I had such a good relationship with Coach Griff (Allen Griffin), and it was really hard to kind of separate myself from that and be able to walk away from that situation.”

The decision to decommit from Syracuse and head straight to the G League has passed. Over 17 minutes Sunday night, Bazley scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds. He shot 5-of-9, dished out a pair of assists and blocked one shot, which he turned into a transition two-handed dunk for himself.

For the few Syracuse fans on hand at the game, and for those watching on national TV, Bazley gave a clear indication that he is a Top-10 talent and that he would have been a big-time contributor to the Orange as a freshman in the 2018-19 season.

After the game, some of the best players in the country described Bazley as sneaky, athletic, long and quick. He is versatile, for he offered the dozens of NBA scouts on hand glimpses of an ability to play the 3 or stretch 4 positions. And he’s assertive: He took the ball to the basket off the dribble on most of his touches, starting with his very first. He dunked four times.

“I wish he came to ‘Cuse,” said Syracuse commit Jalen Carey, who did not play in the game due to an injury. “I wish him the best of luck.”

On March 29, Bazley, 17, decommitted from Syracuse to turn professional in the NBA G League. The No. 9 recruit in ESPN’s 2018 rankings, Bazley committed to SU in July 2017. The 6-foot-9 power forward out of Princeton (Cincinnati) High School headlined Syracuse’s 2018 recruiting class, which features No. 37 recruit Carey and Buddy Boeheim, son of SU head coach Jim Boeheim.

Cam Reddish, the No. 3 overall high school senior and a Duke commit, said he found out Bazley decommitted when he landed back home from the McDonald’s All-American game. Reddish, who also scored 12 points Sunday, would have played against Bazley as a member of the Blue Devils, who knocked Syracuse out of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

“My first reaction was like, ‘Wow, that was quick,’” Reddish said. “I was just with him a couple of hours (before). I got on a flight, got home and boom, that happened right when I landed. But he’s a fierce competitor. I know that from McDonald’s. He was going at it a little bit, talking trash a little bit.”

Coby White, ranked No. 19 in his class, a North Carolina commit and the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina high school basketball history, said he first saw Bazley on the AAU circuit two years ago. Both were sophomores at the time. Bazley scored from all over the court, White said. But more than anything, Bazley’s dangly arms and wingspan stood out.

“He’s an all-around guy,” White said. “He can shoot it, rebound, play defense. He does everything, all you ask for. He has all of the things to be a great, great basketball player.”

The Bazley who could have arrived in Syracuse later this year walked out of the Barclays Center on Sunday night toward a new chapter in his life, which is shaping up to be a high-profile and possible illustrious basketball career. At around 7:20 p.m., Bazley walked down a ramp in the bowels of Barclays Center, wearing a dark blue, backward-facing hat.

In bold, block lettering, it had an orange “S,” for Syracuse.

Published on April 8, 2018 at 8:28 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21