4-Star SF Darius Bazley Commits to Syracuse over Louisville, Maryland, Others

Darius Bazley committed to the Syracuse Orange on Monday, announcing his decision in an interview with Scout's Michael McAllister. 

"To me, it was like no other," Bazley said of Syracuse. "A big part of the commitment was the coaches. I felt really comfortable around them and then felt really comfortable around me. Everything I've played for in basketball, I've been extremely cool with the coaches. Not only with basketball but as far as life."

Bazley is the 10th-ranked small forward and 42nd-ranked player overall, per Scout.

Securing Bazley's commitment is a nice boost for the Orange, who narrowly missed out on 4-star power forward Cole Swider after he opted instead for the Villanova Wildcats. Bazley had originally committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes but backtracked in April.

Syracuse basketball writer Ben Sigel praised Orange assistant Allen Griffin for helping convince Bazley to choose Syracuse:

Griffin had worked on the Dayton Flyers' staff prior to joining Syracuse in April 2017, so he will have been very familiar with Bazley, a native of Cincinnati.

At 6'9" and 195 pounds, Bazley possesses a nice frame for his position. He'll be especially difficult to handle for opposing teams if he can add a bit more muscle.

While not a great three-point shooter, Bazley can knock consistently down mid-range jumpers and also attack the basket. If he can extend his range to beyond the arc, he'll become a potent weapon in Syracuse's offense.

Bazley can do a little bit of everything, be it score, defend or rebound. His versatile all-around game should be a perfect fit for Orange head coach Jim Boeheim.