St. John’s star Donnie Freeman to miss season after Achilles surgery

Rick Pitino said Donnie Freeman underwent successful Achilles tendon surgery after a non-contact workout injury, a blow that will keep the former Syracuse forward out of the entire 2026-27 season. For Syracuse fans, it removes one of the most anticipated names from a Madison Square Garden meeting that had already carried extra weight as the Orange’s first game at the arena since 2021.

Freeman, a 6-foot-9 forward from Washington, D.C., committed to St. John’s on April 20, 2026, and quickly became one of the Red Storm’s premier offseason additions. St. John’s beat out Kentucky for his commitment, and Pitino had praised him at the time as having “great size and offensive potential” and called him “a big addition” to the frontcourt.

The injury cuts off what looked like a major role in Queens for a player who arrived with a national profile. ESPN and 247Sports both rated Freeman among the top transfer portal prospects, and 247Sports placed him No. 15 overall and No. 6 among power forwards. He also arrived as a 2024 McDonald’s All-American with two productive seasons already on his Syracuse resume.

At Syracuse, Freeman played 37 career games and averaged 15.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. In 23 games last season, he put up 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Orange, earning All-ACC honorable mention recognition before moving on to St. John’s.

The setback is especially sharp because Freeman had been projected as a starter and a key reason St. John’s entered the offseason with preseason-contender expectations. Achilles rehabilitation typically takes months, with orthopedic guidance commonly putting return-to-sport timelines in the 9 to 12 month range, which makes a full-season absence the practical outcome after surgery.

For Syracuse supporters, Freeman’s lost season adds another chapter to the familiar “what could have been” debate around recent recruiting and retention. A former Orange forward was supposed to be back on the New York stage, this time wearing St. John’s red, in a matchup that would have tested both programs’ newest identities. Instead, the January spotlight at Madison Square Garden will arrive without him.