"I like being under the big lights": Luke Fennell relishing commitment to Syracuse

Luke Fennell wants to be under pressure.

He's already one of Australia's best 2006-born basketball prospects, and has been a leader through a heap of team success in his home country and abroad, but he wanted more.

That's why, when Syracuse University came knocking, the 18-year-old was immediately enamoured by the opportunity.

The entire situation was appealing. Everything from the intensity of college basketball to the alumni that have gone through the school's storied program spoke to Fennell, who announced his commitment to the Orange on Thursday morning.

"I like being under the big lights," Fennell told ESPN.

"Syracuse is definitely a big school, which I really like. Their gym holds more than 35,000 people, and Carmelo [Anthony] went through there, so having something to live up to is the place I want to be at.

"I wanted to be around people that are hungry, people that want to be the best versions of themselves and still haven't reached that stage of being a pro yet. I'm excited to be around that high-pressure environment where iron sharpens iron, everyone wanting to be great, so I think that's the environment that's gonna help me."

Fennell was part of the NBA Global Academy, which is based out of the Basketball Centre of Excellence (COE) in Canberra, and had immense success as part of that program. He was a member of the COE team that won the 2024 Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany -- averaging 8.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a team-high 2.4 assists per game -- before going on to win a gold medal with Victoria at the 2024 under-20 National Championships in Ballarat.

The 6'6 point guard is currently a development player for the South East Melbourne Phoenix, but had always kept the door open to potentially go down the college route.

"Syracuse just kept in touch with me every day," Fennell said.

"They kept calling me, asking me about my life, and really just got to know me. They connected my life to how it is in Syracuse. The way they communicated that, and the way they showed me what life is like there and how I would fit in, was a big thing in me coming to my decision."

The university is based in Syracuse, NY, which is about a four-hour drive northwest of New York City. The campus sits on a hill overlooking the city, and features the largest arena in division-1 basketball -- with a maximum capacity of 35,642 -- in the JMA Dome.

That stadium houses a program that has historically had immense success, but hasn't had an NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021. Adrian Autry took over as head coach of Syracuse in 2023, aiming to fill the giant shoes of Jim Boeheim, the Hall of Famer who was at the helm of the Orange for 47 years.

The alumni of Syracuse includes Anthony, Jerami Grant, Danny Schayes, Dave Bing, Michael Carter-Williams, and Hakim Warrick, among others, and Fennell has an eye toward following their footsteps from the Orange to the NBA.

Fennell fits the mould of the modern point guard. He's big, can effectively run an offence -- he has an impressive feel coming off on-balls -- has a reliable jumper out to beyond the three-point line, and can score at all three-levels.

"Syracuse is getting a guy who knows how to control tempo, a person who can control a team and be patient," Fennell said.

"I think I can really set the offence, and share the ball around. When teams need to get a bucket or need something desperately, I can go and do that for the team. I can be a real spark plug, and be energetic."

"They said they play fast, and that's how I wanna play. I wanna play with tempo and pace, be in transition, in the open floor."

Over his junior career in Australia, Fennell has played both guard positions, but says he's working intently on his handle in order to continue excelling at the point.

The 18-year-old has been with the Phoenix since the preseason, practicing with the NBL team as a development player. That means regularly going up against the likes of Derrick Walton Jr., a high-level international point guard who has spent time with three different NBA teams; and Nathan Sobey, a one-time Olympian who's been one of Australia's most dynamic guards over the past few years.

Fennell says competing consistently in a professional environment has played a key role in expediting his growth as a basketball player.

"Having to guard Derrick Walton Jr. every day... that's a task," Fennell said.

"Going up against that every day has definitely sped up my development. I can see it every time I go to an open gym or play in a scrimmage, I can tell the game feels a lot slower, and everything flows a lot easier."