Naheem McLeod on Syracuse Visit: 'I Felt Like I Belonged There'
Syracuse basketball hosted one of the top transfer big men on the market in former Florida State center Naheem McLeod for an official visit over the weekend. The 7-4 big enjoyed his time on campus.
"The visit was good," McLeod said. "Got a chance to meet a lot of the guys. The coaching staff welcomed me with open arms. Talked to me about their vision for me at Syracuse. I already knew a couple of the guys coming in, so I'm not playing with anybody I don't know or whose game I'm not familiar with. So it's going to be fun if I go there."
The message from the Syracuse coaches was simple. That he could be the missing piece they need.
"The goal is to come in, work right away, be that dominant piece in the middle," McLeod said. "They have exceptional guards coming in, like Chance Westry and JJ Starling. Those guys are high level players. They also have guys that are still there now like Benny Williams and everybody else. I think our athleticism and the speed that Syracuse wants to play at would be right for me."
The campus and facilities also made an impression.
"The campus was real beautiful," McLeod said. "Short, not too long. Get around easy. Apartments are right around the corner from the gym, so that was cool. I liked the facility. It was good. I was shooting, felt like I couldn't miss, and I felt like I belonged there. So it was a blessing to be there."
The first player McLeod talked to during the visit? The man he would be replacing.
"The first person I talked to was Jesse Edwards," McLeod said. "He was the first person I ran into. He gave me a hug and told me that Syracuse was right. Their vision for me, it helped him out because he want from averaging 1.3 points to 14 or 16. Each year he got better. Being that focal point in the middle will help out a lot."
McLeod said the next step is to take a visit to Mississippi State on Wednesday. He is unsure if he will take more after that or go into decision making mode. He added there are too many schools to name trying to get him on campus for a visit.
SUPPORT ALL SYRACUSE
SUBSCRIBE TO ALLSYRACUSE.COM NOW TO GET ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE INSIDER CONTENT
JOIN THE ALL SYRACUSE FORUMS FOR FREE AND DISCUSS THE ORANGE WITH OTHER FANS AND OUR STAFF
