Syracuse Basketball: A full roster necessitates precision for 2020 class

The Syracuse basketball team is targeting a bunch of top-flight talents in the 2020 class, but could a stuffed-to-the-brim roster pose some challenges?

Several days ago, I perused the latest iteration of the 2020 ESPN 100, which rates the premier players in that year’s class and includes numerous guys who have received scholarship offers from the Syracuse basketball coaching staff. My colleagues and I at Inside The Loud House have reported on many of these offers extended by the Orange, the most recent of which went to 6-foot-8 power forward/center Dain Dainja.

The four-star Dainja attends Park Center Senior High in Brooklyn Park, Minn., and he checks in at No. 53 on the 2020 ESPN 100. He’s among, by my count, roughly 10 studs who are in these ESPN rankings and also noted as potential 2020 prospects for the ‘Cuse via the 247Sports Web site.

High-schoolers presently outside the 2020 ESPN 100 are garnering attention from SU coaches as well. Take, for example, four-star power forward Woody Newton, who’s not listed in the 2020 ESPN 100, yet the 247Sports Composite slots him at No. 79 nationally across his class.

Earlier this week, Orange head coach Jim Boeheim watched the 6-foot-8 Newton, per a tweet by Evan Daniels, 247Sports’ director of basketball recruiting. The ‘Cuse, by the way, has pledged a scholarship to Newton, who is from Mt. Zion Prep in Lanham, Md., according to 247Sports.

Now, it’s true, due to the fickle business of recruiting, that the bevy of these targets will opt to suit up for a program besides my alma mater residing in Central New York. That’s the way this process works. However, what I find so fascinating about the SU hoops squad, and looking ahead to its 2020 class, is that the Orange’s roster for the upcoming 2019-20 season is completely filled with 13 scholarship players – and no seniors.

Theoretically, if all of these guys elected to return for the 2020-21 campaign, and the ‘Cuse is already pushed up against the NCAA’s scholarship limit, that makes it tricky for JB & Co. to ultimately secure any 2020 prospects. As such, the always-fantastic Mike Waters with Syracuse.com points out in this piece that he anticipates SU will “make a very focused effort on a few key recruits in the ‘20 class.”

I totally agree with Waters. It won’t surprise me if one, two or even three schollies open up for the Orange’s class of 2020. First and foremost, sophomore forward Oshae Brissett is testing the NBA Draft process. If he returns for his junior term, it’s certainly feasible that Brissett could say good-bye to the Hill following the 2019-20 stanza.

Also, I think it’s possible that freshman guard Buddy Boeheim could give back his scholarship, although I’m not 100 percent sure of that. Finally, as Waters describes, because of a stacked 13-person line-up, some players may not find their level of court action desirable, perhaps resulting in one or more transfers to other crews. This has transpired on multiple occasions over the last couple of years.

The long and short here is that Syracuse’s 2020 class provides an intriguing case study on the delicate nuances of recruiting, and I for one can’t wait to see how everything comes together.