Syracuse Basketball: 2017 Three-Star Guard Visits SU; Offer Coming?

New recruiting information suggests that the Syracuse basketball team could be in position to offer to an intriguing talent visiting Central New York.

It’s no secret that the Syracuse basketball squad desperately needs a point guard to help fill out its 2017 class.

With graduate transfer John Gillon exhausting his eligibility after this season, that leaves sophomore Frank Howard as the lone lead guard entering the 2017-18 campaign.

Freshman Tyus Battle, assuming he stays on the roster, can help run the offense, but he isn’t a pure point guard.

It’s been widely documented at this juncture, the Orange swung and missed on five-star prospect Quade Green, who chose Kentucky over the ‘Cuse. Putting so much time and energy into Green led head coach Jim Boeheim and his staff to shy away from other top-flight targets at the point-guard position.

Now, a report has surfaced on Scout.com that three-star recruit Chris Duarte visited the Syracuse campus last weekend, and he got to watch the Orange crush the Pittsburgh Panthers this past Saturday. That’s a good thing, considering how SU has struggled for the better part of this winter.

Per Scout.com, Duarte, whose recruitment has gotten slightly hampered as he battles back from injury, is interested in Syracuse. And the feeling by the ‘Cuse appears mutual.

"“Syracuse is a high major program and Duarte a talented recruit at a position of need,” according to the report. “No (scholarship) offer has been extended as of yet, but keep an eye on Duarte moving forward.”"

Interestingly, on various recruiting Web sites, he’s listed as a point guard, a shooting guard and a small forward.

The 6-5 Duarte attends Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, N.Y., which is near Albany.

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Scout.com says that he holds offers from several schools, including Arizona, Kansas, Southern California and Temple.

ESPN.com gives him a grade of 75 and ranks him 58th at the point-guard position. Over at 247Sports, he ranks No. 201 overall and No. 45 at the shooting-guard position. Meanwhile, the 247Sports Composite places Duarte at No. 161 nationally and No. 35 at shooting guard.

What does all of this mean? Well, Duarte is flying a bit under the radar. He’s not a top-25 prospect. Yet powerhouses like Arizona and Kansas see something in him.

I’m rooting for Syracuse to offer Duarte a scholarship. Boeheim & Co. have lost out on countless highly ranked targets in recent months, and SU likes to mold three- and four-year players into the Orange system.

Duarte fits the bill.

Plus, there aren’t many other options out there in the 2017 class. The ‘Cuse apparently is gaining traction with 2018 four-star point guard Eric Ayala, who has said he might reclassify to 2017 if the right opportunity arises.

That may or may not happen.

Next: Syracuse Basketball Continues Win-less Road Streak

Presently, Syracuse has secured two promising big men, Oshae Brissett and Bourama Sidibe, for next year’s class. The Orange must sign a guard or two. The cupboard is drying up. Ayala and Duarte might represent two of SU’s best – and last – remaining possibilities.