A Transfer Portal Star Faces a Crucial Setback
Donnie Freeman, the 6‑foot‑7 forward who arrived at St. John's through the transfer portal after a standout sophomore season at Syracuse, will undergo surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, a injury that guarantees his absence for the rest of the 2025‑26 campaign. He averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds over 23 games for the Orange.
The news arrived as head coach Rick Pitino, who returned to the Red Storm for his second stint, confirmed the severity of the injury and the inevitable reshuffling of minutes for younger prospects. With Freeman out, St. John's slid to No. 17 in the CBS Sports Top 25, a steep fall that underscores how pivotal the transfer was to the team's early‑season expectations.
Florida, still ranked No. 1, leans on returning standouts Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon, while Duke’s core — Caleb Foster, Patrick Ngongba and the newly arrived John Blackwell — aims to preserve its top‑five status. Illinois, sitting at No. 3, brings back David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic and the twin towers of Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, complemented by Stefan Vaaks and Brad Underwood’s recruiting class. UConn, No. 4, counters with Braylon Mullins, Silas Demary and a promising group that includes Nik Khamenia, Jeremy Fears Jr. and Matas Vokietaitis. Michigan State, No. 5, returns five of its top eight scorers, among them Cam Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Drew Scharnowski and the Ivisic twins.
Further down, Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov, Michigan’s Trey McKenney, Gonzaga’s Braden Huff, and Virginia’s five‑scorer core — featuring Massamba Diop, Luca Foster and Ryan Odom — keep the competition tight. The latest poll also nods to emerging talents such as Dusty May’s former assistant Mike Boynton, Moustapha Thiam, JP Estrella, Trey McKenney, Braden Huff, and the versatile forward Jurian Dixon, rounding out a deep and unpredictable field.