NEW YORK — As the immediate hubbub surrounding Darius Bazley’s decision to decommit from Syracuse and turn pro has faded, the former Orange-bound five-star forward responded to nine days of emotional responses from the SU fanbase — many of them involving disbelief and shock — into a singular message.

“I know the fans are great, despite the comments and stuff I’ve been getting from them,” Bazley told The Daily Orange on Saturday afternoon at the Jordan Brand Classic. “I’m still going to root them on. I had to do what’s best for me, and I just hope that they will respect that and cheer me on.”

On March 29, Bazley, 17, decommitted from Syracuse to turn professional in the G League. The No. 9 recruit in ESPN’s 2018 rankings, Bazley committed to SU back in July 2017. The 6-foot-9 power forward out of Princeton (Cincinnati) High School headlined Syracuse’s 2018 recruiting class that features No. 37 recruit Jalen Carey and Buddy Boeheim, son of SU head coach Jim Boeheim.

When Bazley’s announcement was reported, Carey was taking a nap at home. His father, John, woke him up. Carey thought his father was kidding at first, but he checked Twitter to get confirmation.

Then, Syracuse guard Elijah Hughes texted Carey: “Talk to your boy,” according to Carey’s father.

So, Carey texted Bazley no words — only the “eyes emoji,” a pair of eyes glancing slightly to the left. Bazley didn’t respond with “anything serious,” Carey said.

“He’s going to miss something big this year,” Carey told The Daily Orange on Saturday.

“I wish him nothing but the best,” John Carey said. “I wish he would have done this before recruiting, because then maybe we (Syracuse) could have picked up a guy that’s valuable. The timing can sometimes hurt.”

This week, Bazley explained his decision in a first-person account in The Players Tribune. He said he had been thinking about the move straight to the G League for months.

“At first, I basically dismissed it entirely,” Bazley wrote. “I just had trouble picturing myself doing that. A little time passed, then we all had another conversation, and for the first time the G League was brought up.”

In March, Bazley became the third SU commit since 2012 to appear in the McDonald’s All-American game. He had 11 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes. On Sunday afternoon at the Barclays Center, Bazley will display his game for professional scouts and provide SU fans a look at what he would have brought to Syracuse in 2018-19.

“I’m still an Orange fan,” Bazley said. “I didn’t make this decision because of anything crazy. There’s nothing wrong with Syracuse. I love the coaching staff.”

Published on April 7, 2018 at 2:48 pm

Contact Matthew: mguti100@syr.edu | @MatthewGut21