Syracuse Orange men’s basketball guard Luke Fennell will have a chance to earn playing time right away as a backup point guard to Georgia Tech transfer Nait George. Fennell, a 6-foot-6 guard from Melbourne, Australia, brings plenty of basketball experience despite being just a freshman.
Fennell spent this past summer playing for the U19 Australian National Team in FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia. He was able to showcase some of his shooting ability, but suggests he “left a lot out on the table” despite
helping his team win the tournament and qualify for the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
“It was surreal,” Fennell described his FIBA experience. “I always say it’s something I’ll never forget, being able to build that brotherhood.”
Fennell is a tall, athletic guard that fits the versatility mold that Adrian Autry wants in his players. He can play either guard position. He’s described as having a high basketball IQ. One of his Syracuse teammates has taken notice of his utility and multiple skillsets.
“One player I’d key in on is probably Luke,” said Oregon State transfer Nate Kingz. “Luke has been a great floor general and he’s a great passer. He can shoot the ball too and get his own. He’s just a good Swiss Army Knife.”
Fennel figures to be a good fit at Syracuse for a ball-screen heavy offense. While he comes in behind an experienced ACC backcourt, he’s taken lessons from JJ Starling and George.
“Guys like JJ and Nait George, they just taught me to compete every day,” Fennell said. “Me guarding them every day. Them getting after me every day. It helps (us) get better. So I think just that part of it is just competing and wanting to get better every day.”
Syracuse General Manager Alex Kline was Fennell’s initial contact with the Orange program after his agent expressed interest to a variety of college teams in the United States. He committed to Syracuse without having visited campus over offers from programs such as Louisville and Florida. The assistant coaches set up Zoom calls and educated him on the Syracuse program. He played in the NBA Global Academy in Australia.
“We had a lot of tournaments and exhibition things where we could get noticed.” Fennell said of how he made contact with Syracuse. “I had a lot of zoom calls with the coaches. It was a pretty quick process. They made me feel really welcome straight away. I knew this was the place I wanted to be.”
Fennell, he said, has more of his game to showcase at Syracuse this season. He comes in with a talented freshman class that has the vitality of the Orange program in mind.
“I think the one thing we all have in common is we’re just all hungry,” Fennel said. “We all know what we want to do. We all want to bring back the Syracuse culture and the greatness. That’s all we want to do.”
