Syracuse loses one transfer to BYU, gains another from Appalachian State

It was a busy Tuesday for the Syracuse Orange in the men's basketball transfer portal.

Within a half hour, one departing transfer landed a new destination, while SU secured the commitment of an incoming standout.

First, the departure: Tyler Betsey is leaving for BYU.

Betsey was the best pure shooter on Syracuse's roster in 2025-26, making 40% of his shots from beyond the arc. He never could quite break through for enough playing time to make a massive impact, though, finishing the year averaging 6.7 points per game.

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The incoming player isn't a replacement for Betsey, but more of a potential interior force.

The new big guy is Luke Wilson from Appalachian State.

Wilson has the possibility of being hugely impactful for Gerry McNamara and the Orange.

In 2025-26, Wilson won Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year.

He averaged 10.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore this past winter. He also led the Sun Belt with 1.8 blocks per game.

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It's not clear yet what McNamara's full defensive plan will be, but having a lanky center who can block shots is a good strategy on the back end of any defense.

There's still more transfer movement to happen, but the Orange are staying busy.

More college basketball news:

• Mikey Williams creates polarizing transfer prospect
• Duke's Cameron Boozer is taking his time
• The transfer portal has both 7-foot-9 and 7-foot-5 available
• Andrej Stojakovic makes his transfer portal decision
• Kentucky closing in on Syracuse transfer