Syracuse, hoping to secure a class of 2018 commitment prior to the July evaluation periods, came up big on Monday with the commitment of four-star forward Darius Bazley. A 6-foot-8 rising senior, Bazley is a tremendous addition for the ACC program.

Bazley was committed to Ohio State but backed off the pledge in March, and his recruitment heated up drastically during recent weeks. He is the type of space 4-man that has excelled in past years at Syracuse.

Having visited the Orange, Xavier and Indiana in recent weeks, the commitment of Bazley took some by surprise. Not many had envisioned a commitment prior to the July evaluation periods as a few official visits were being set up following his final month of travel ball. However, the recent hiring of former Dayton assistant, Allen Griffin, has already paid dividends for the Orange as he tapped into the relationship that he had built with Bazley and his support system.

The first commitment in the 2018 class for the Orange, Bazley has the chance to walk into the ACC program and pick up quality minutes. He's a scorer, but the fact that he has good length and quality feet should give him the chance to defend well within Syracuse's vaunted 2-3 zone. His commitment should be celebrated by Orange fans not just for his talent level but also for the overall fit.