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Marek Dolezaj’s college career at Syracuse is over. 

The 22-year-old senior announced Wednesday on social media that he plans to pursue a career in professional basketball. He’s electing to forgo his extra year of eligibility — a fifth season at SU — and told coach Jim Boeheim earlier in the year that he planned to move on. Dolezaj’s didn’t change his mind, and Syracuse will now be without its mainstay in the frontcourt. 

Dolezaj was a Syracuse fan favorite and an emotional center of the Orange for four years. In 131 games for SU, Dolezaj averaged 7.3 points and five rebounds per game. He finished his career with 960 points, 69th on SU’s all-time scoring list. 

But his impact went well beyond scoring. The 6-foot-10, 200-pound Dolezaj routinely banged bodies with opposing centers with at least 50 pounds on him. Boeheim once compared his passing ability to that of Magic Johnson. Dolezaj seemingly always made the right plays on both ends, and his intangibles quickly became indispensable. 

As a freshman in 2017, Dolezaj cracked the starting rotation in late January and never yielded it afterward. He moved SU’s name up the bracket in 2018 after he scored 17 points in the Orange’s first-round upset over TCU, and he averaged 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in four NCAA Tournament contests that season. 

The legend of the pizza-loving, wiry Dolezaj only grew. He took a charge on Duke star Zion Williamson in 2019. He got his tooth knocked out against Georgetown but remained in the game in 2021. He played in three NCAA Tournaments in four seasons, leading SU by punching above his weight defensively and making smart plays on offense. 

Dolezaj’s final season was his most impressive. With starting center Bourama Sidibe limited to 15 total minutes due to lingering knee issues, Dolezaj anchored the middle of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. And for the last month of the season, including SU’s improbable Sweet 16 run, Dolezaj played through a broken finger on his left hand. 

Against West Virginia in the second round, he overcame early foul trouble to help the Orange stave off WVU. Boeheim called him “a terrific basketball player” in the postgame press conference.

“He’s one of the most underrated players in the country,” Boeheim said. “He’s just a great, great team player. He makes winning plays that are not noticed sometimes, but they’re there.”

Replacing Dolezaj’s toughness and instincts will be a challenge for the Orange. SU has five-star forward Benny Williams joining the team and Sidibe returning, but it struggled defensively throughout 2020-21 as the back line jelled. 

In the meantime, Dolezaj is moving on. Dolezaj said he never could’ve imagined he’d be at this point four years ago, but now the once-unheralded prospect with one college offer is ready to leave.

Published on April 7, 2021 at 3:59 pm

Contact Danny: [email protected] | @DannyEmerman