Syracuse Basketball: 5-star recruit Isaiah Stewart to choose school Sunday

One of the biggest recruits in the country, Isaiah Stewart, is weighing his collegiate options and Syracuse basketball is firmly in the mix.

Vaunted high school recruit Isaiah Stewart is set to decide where he will attend school for his college basketball career this Sunday at 7:00 p.m. (ET).

Stewart’s decision is set to take place live on ESPN, giving fans a chance to witness it live – something that could change a program both short-term and long-term.

At 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, Stewart would be a great body to have in the middle of Syracuse’s 2-3 zone. In fact, the Orange have had a lot of success with guys that had a similar frame, such as Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku.

Offensively, he is known as a bruiser down low. Stewart’s size wears down most defenders, and he finishes with ease, making his post presence a huge issue for opponents. On top of this, Stewart can be compared to an Angel Delgado – someone who will always rip down rebounds, even though he will rarely be the tallest guy on the court.

If there is one downside to Stewart’s game, it would be that his perimeter game just isn’t there. However, if he were to choose the Cuse, a combination between Joe Girard III, Elijah Hughes, and maybe – just maybe – Oshae Brissett AND Tyus Battle would allow for a free flowing offense that could move inside to outside and vice versa at extremely high rates.

Of course, Syracuse will have to do a bit of praying to come away with the 247.com 5-star and number three ranked center behind James Wiseman and Vernon Carey.

The chances of Cuse coming away with Stewart are actually bigger than most would think. After all, he is a Rochester native, which may give him incentive to stay home and try to give Jim Boeheim his second championship.

So, where will Stewart most likely take his talents?

Stewart is also being recruited by blue bloods Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State, as well as former Cuse assistant coach and now head coach of Washington, Mike Hopkins.

If anything bids well for the Orange, it is that Duke already came away with the number two center in the class of 2019, Vernon Carey, so unless the Blue Devils want to pair two centers together, I’d take them out of the equation.

As for Kentucky, the Wildcats will already have Nick Richards coming back, so unless he decides to declare for the NBA draft, this could impact Stewart’s willingness to sign with Big Blue.

This would leave Syracuse, Washington, and Michigan State – the three teams I see with the best chance.

Michigan State currently has no centers on its’ roster, and has been leaning towards Stewart as their number one recruiting option. Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has also had a lot of success with big men in the past, including Draymond Green, Adreian Payne, and Gavin Schilling. I’d give Izzo a good shot at landing Stewart.

Washington currently has the best chance at landing Stewart, as 247sports’ ‘Crystal Ball’ predictions give the Huskies a 56% chance to land the big man. Mike Hopkins has always been a great recruiter – of course we know thanks to his time at Syracuse. In addition, he is a decade younger than the other head coaches recruiting Stewart, which may have a bit of an impact depending on whether or not Stewart feels closer to a younger coach. Whether or not that is the case or not, Washington does have three returning centers on its’ roster, which could sway Stewart’s decision. However, the recent transfer addition of Quade Green may also have a positive impact for the Huskies, which may have the tipping point if he does choose UW on Sunday.

What are Syracuse’s actual chances of landing Isaiah Stewart?

In all honesty, I think they are very good. Coach Gerry McNamara recruited Stewart, and the Orange have made him their top priority for a while. Stewart visited Syracuse back in October, and has kept us near the top ever since, which also bids well for the Cuse.

Syracuse also has had trouble at the center spot, and is in dire need of a true big man in the middle of that 2-3 zone. Next year, the Orange will have to choose between Bourama Sidibe, Robert Braswell, Marek Dolezaj, and another incoming freshman, John Bol Ajak, for the center position. If Stewart were to choose Syracuse, he would easily slide right into the starting center spot.

Talent wise, the most likely starting lineup would be Jalen Carey, Elijah Hughes, Oshae Brissett, Marek Dolezaj, and Stewart. The Orange would also have Joe Girard III, Howard Washington, and Bourama Sidibe off the bench, as well as others.

The most interesting tid-bit to take into consideration though, happened on twitter. Incoming freshman Joe Girard III – aka the all time leading scorer in New York high school basketball history – has been a key component to Stewart’s recruitment to the Orange.

Girard and Stewart are AAU teammates, something that could have huge positive implications for the Orange. However, even bigger than that, Girard pitched some recruiting to Stewart on twitter January 14th, to which Stewart quoted Girard with emojis telling him to text his phone. Who knows if this is a good sign or not, but I’m willing to take it the right way. Do I think Isaiah Stewart has a good shot at choosing Orange on Sunday? Absolutely.