Syracuse, NY ― Syracuse forward Chris Bell will return for his junior year with the Orange, his father told Syracuse.com on Thursday.
Bell also posted a video message on his Instagram account.
Bell and his father came to the decision on Wednesday; the final day that the NCAA’s transfer portal remained open to college basketball players looking to change schools.
The return of the 6-foot-7 Bell should provide a critical boost for Syracuse next year. He offers both experience as well as a legitimate 3-point threat.
He has started 62 games in his first two seasons, including all 32 of Syracuse’s games this past year. The 6-foot-7 Bell averaged 12.0 points while starting all 32 games this past season for Syracuse. He led the Orange in 3-point shooting, making 84 out of 200 shots (42%) from beyond the arc. He ranked third in the ACC in 3-point shooting percentage.
Bell showed significant improvement over his freshman year when he averaged 6.6 points and made 34.5% of his 3-point shots.
In making 42% of his 3-point shots this past season, Bell put himself among some of SU’s best 3-point shooters.
No Syracuse player has ever shot a higher percentage from 3-point range than Bell’s 42% and made more than his 84 3s. The closest is Matt Roe, who went 83-for-175 (47.4%) in the 1988-89 season.
Bell’s decision comes after Syracuse had lost eight players off last year’s roster, including seven to the transfer portal. The transfers include Maliq Brown (Duke), Justin Taylor (James Madison), Peter Carey (Siena), Benny Williams (Central Florida), Quadir Copeland, Mounir Hima and William Patterson.
Judah Mintz, SU’s starting point in each of the last two years, has entered his name in the NBA draft.
Bell and JJ Starling are the only returning starters from last year’s team, which went 20-12 for the year and 11-9 in the ACC. Bell and Starling will both be juniors next season.
Syracuse has added three players via the transfer portal: Colorado center Eddie Lampkin Jr., Delaware forward Jyare Davis and Hofstra guard Jaquan Carlos.
Syracuse will also bring in two recruits in the 2024 high school class. Donavan Freeman, a 6-foot-9 forward who made the McDonald’s All-America team; and Elijah Moore, a 6-3 guard out of the Bronx.
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