Former Kansas Jayhawks guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. suffers another injury setback at Syracuse

Former University of Kansas men’s basketball player Kyle Cuffe Jr., who announced his transfer to Syracuse on May 19, has suffered a broken bone in his right hand, Orange coach Adrian Autry told Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.

Cuffe, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard from Harlem, New York, is expected back on the court by the end of July, Autry told Syracuse.com.

It was not revealed how the injury occurred. But Cuffe was plagued by injuries during his two seasons at KU.

He played six minutes total in two KU games (vs. North Dakota State and Omaha) during the 2022-23 season. He suffered a torn MCL (medial collateral ligament) and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) in a knee during a mid-November workout and was unable to practice much of the season. He also redshirted in 2021-22, when he practiced with the team during the Jayhawks’ national championship season.

Cuffe told On3.com he chose Syracuse over interest from Richmond, Tulane, Pacific, Grand Canyon, Western Kentucky and New Mexico State.

Cuffe recently told Syracuse.com his knee “is perfect. It won’t be a problem this season. I’ve been back playing for the past two months. It’s feeling good. I feel more confident than ever.”

Cuffe, who has four years of eligibility remaining, is expected to battle for a rotation spot with the Orange. Sophomore Judah Mintz, who averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 assists and 1.8 seals a game while earning a spot on the ACC all-freshman team, and J.J. Starling, a sophomore transfer who averaged 11.2 points at Notre Dame last season, have been mentioned as Syracuse’s likely starting backcourt.

KU coach Bill Self said of Cuffe last season: “Kyle is as he appears to be. He is a nice sweet kid who happens to be gifted athletically. He is still young. He should be a freshman. He came to school a year early. He is extremely talented. He is a great athlete.

“I think he’d agree he’s still learning the game the way we play it compared to what he was coming in as basically a high school junior. He will have a bright future playing. His attitude is a 12 when it comes to him trying to come back (from injury) and be in a situation to practice. I am proud of him. He knows we respect his mindset, how he’s come back from injury.”