Syracuse basketball is squarely in the mix for talented 7-foot center prospect Quincy Ballard. Here are all the pertinent details.
Syracuse basketball continues to do its homework on several talented big men on the recruiting front.
After missing out on Seth Towns and Patrick Tape in the transfer portal, the Orange have moved on to a new target in 7-footer Quincy Ballard.
On Wednesday night Matthew Gutierrez of The Athletic shared that Syracuse had offered the former Henninger high school product.
Ballard left the area two years ago to move down to North Carolina to hone his skills. Since then his offers have grown exponentially: he currently holds offers from Florida State, Maryland, NC State, and Cincinnati.
Speaking of growing, that’s exactly what Quincy has done. Not only does he stand in at 7-foot but he weighs over 240 pounds at just 18 years of age. This doesn’t fit the usual prototype for an Orange center and that’s a good thing, it’s time to mix things up and add some brutus beefcake to the lineup.
Ballard plans on making a decision on his future on Saturday, April 11.
Unfortunately due to the novel coronavirus, his recruiting experience has been odd, to say the least. Instead of taking normal campus visits, he’s had to do everything virtually.
In a conversation with Mike Waters of Syracuse.com, Quincy said that his main priorities when deciding where he wants to go to school is team chemistry and he wants a school “that’s going to take care of the players, I would need a strong coach.”
Jim Boeheim? Hall of Fame coach? Check that one off the bucket list. Team chemistry? Imagine him in the lineup for the Orange next season: Joe Girard III (point guard), Buddy Boeheim (shooting guard), Alan Griffin (small forward), Quincy Guerrier/Marek Dolezaj (power forward), and either Bourama Sidibe or Quincy Ballard at center.
Per Matthew Gutierrez of The Athletic, Ballard would be eligible to play this upcoming season as a freshman.
The Orange are also in the mix for another talented big man that just entered the transfer portal in Matt Haarms (formerly of Purdue).