Syracuse sophomore guard Brendan Paul entered the transfer portal and will explore leaving Syracuse, Paul confirmed to The Daily Orange.

Paul, a walk-on at Syracuse, said he received feedback from his play over the summer and from his trainer, Robbie Haught, that pushed him to consider his options. Though entering the transfer portal could ultimately allow him to return to SU if his options aren’t attractive enough, Paul said he’s already been contacted on the phone by Missouri State and Appalachian State as of Friday afternoon.

“I always knew I was capable of playing basketball at the Division I level, that’s why I decided to walk on to Syracuse,” Paul said. “Now knowing that I would have never ended up playing as much as I wanted to, I wanted to explore (my options).”

Paul first started getting looks this summer at the Cleveland Am-Pro. He put up big scoring numbers through shooting the ball and “found a new love” for passing and creating opportunities. Some nights, he said he hovered around 35 points and 10-plus assists. Paul — against better competition — thrived.

Haught, who worked with Paul over the summer and is the trainer for NBA stars D’Angelo Russell and Devin Booker, noticed the buzz and interest directed at Paul. Haught has noticed a significant jump from Paul’s mental game over the past two years, which allows Paul to “lock-in” more easily.

Over the summer, Paul split most of his days between the gym and the weight room. He played one-on-one games against pros and showed his progress in the Cleveland Am-Pro. Haught said Paul has always been unheralded in Cleveland basketball. He attended Hawken High School (Ohio), a small catholic school, and didn’t gain much exposure until he played the 2017-18 season with Brewster Academy (New Hampshire).  Haught said Paul put in the work this summer, and he was expecting to play.

“If you’re never going to play (at Syracuse) this much time, you might as well explore your options,” Haught said. A few days before Paul left to go on Syracuse’s trip to Italy, Paul said Haught sat down with Paul’s father, Curt, and the two reached an understanding.

“I just love the game,” Paul said. “And sitting on the bench… it can be hard.”

Haught said there are a ton of teams reaching out with interest in Paul. Paul officially entered the portal Thursday night.

He kept his decision quiet, only speaking with his family and close friends, and keeping it mostly to himself even as he played with his SU teammates in Italy. When he woke up this morning, he had 130 text messages.

“He’s been an underdog his whole life and he carries that with him,” Haught said. “That’s his chip on his shoulder.”

This story was updated with additional reporting.

Published on August 23, 2019 at 1:34 pm

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary