Syracuse, N.Y. -- Geno Thorpe, a graduate transfer from South Florida, has committed to Syracuse University.

"It's official,'' Thorpe said in a telephone interview on Friday. "I'm going to do my fifth-year at Syracuse.''

Thorpe, a 6-foot-4 guard, visited Syracuse on Thursday and Friday. He chose the Orange after also considering Pittsburgh and Seton Hall. He has one year of eligibility remaining and will be able to play immediately next season.

Thorpe was South Florida's leading scorer last season at 15.1 points per game. He also led the Bulls in assists with 4.6 per game.

On his visit, Thorpe said he got to meet most of the Syracuse players.

"It's definitely a good group of guys,'' he said.

Thorpe can play both guard positions. He will help fill out Syracuse's thin backcourt, which consists of sophomore Tyus Battle, the returning starter at the off-guard spot; junior Frank Howard, who served as the backup at the point last year; and freshman point guard Howard Washington.

In his meeting with Jim Boeheim, Thorpe said the SU coach explained how he planned to use the versatile guard.

"He was very honest and open with me,'' Thorpe said. "It's a team-oriented program. It's only about winning. My role will be to play both guard spots along with Frank (Howard), Tyus (Battle) and Howard (Washington).''

Thorpe's interest in Syracuse came as a result of his friendship with former Dayton player Scoochie Smith. Smith and Thorpe became friends in 8th grade while attending a HoopGroup camp. Smith played at Dayton where he developed a close relationship with Dayton assistant Allen Griffin.

This spring, Griffin, a former Syracuse player, was hired as an assistant at Syracuse.

"Coach Griffin was the first one I talked to,'' Thorpe said. "We have a really good relationship.''

Thorpe would also address an area of need for Syracuse. Syracuse lost its top three 3-point shooters off last year's team in Tyler Lydon, Andrew White and John Gillon.

Battle is Syracuse's top returning 3-point shooter. As a freshman, Battle made 36.6 percent of his 3-point shots. Thorpe shot 37.5 percent (39-for-104) on 3-point shots for the Bulls last season.

Thorpe made 37.5 percent of his 3-point attempts last year for South Florida.

A native of Pittsburgh, Thorpe spent his first two years of college at Penn State. He transferred to South Florida following his sophomore year. He sat out the 2015-16 season and then played this past season.

Thorpe was one of the few bright spots for South Florida last season. The Bulls finished the season with a 7-23 overall records. Orlando Antigua was fired as coach in early January. USF won just one game after Antigua's dismissal, going 1-17 in the American Athletic Conference.

Thorpe's commitment marks the second year in a row that Syracuse has dipped into the graduate transfer market.

Last year, fifth-year seniors Andrew White and John Gillon played significant roles for the Orange. White, a transfer from Nebraska, led Syracuse in scoring and also broke the school's record for most 3-pointers in a season.

Gillon, who came to SU from Colorado State, became the Orange's starting point. He averaged 10.5 points per game, while also leading SU with 5.4 assists per game.