Syracuse basketball has an excellent shot at landing Benny Williams
By Neil Adler
Syracuse basketball is in the final four for Benny Williams, a top-60 prospect in the 2021 class, and he would make a terrific addition to the Orange.
Syracuse basketball is in a four-team battle for the services of 2021 four-star small forward Benny Williams, and the Orange certainly finds itself in a strong position with him.
The 6-foot-8 Williams, a rising senior at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., near Washington, D.C., has trimmed his list of programs still under consideration to the quartet of Georgetown, Maryland, Miami and the ‘Cuse.
That’s an interesting, but not altogether surprising, final group. The Hoyas and the Terrapins are big-name basketball brands within the Baltimore-Washington regional corridor and often pick up elite recruits in those two metropolitan areas.
Syracuse and the Hurricanes, meanwhile, are Atlantic Coast Conference foes. The Orange, by its own right, has recruited well in the Baltimore and D.C. markets over the years.
It’s worth noting that Williams’ AAU crew, D.C.-based Team Takeover, boasts alumni including former ‘Cuse guys like Michael Gbinije, Jerami Grant and Frank Howard.
Williams really can’t go wrong with any of his four finalists, however, Syracuse is absolutely a solid – if not stellar – fit for him. For one, as it presently stands, the Orange will have nine players on scholarship when Williams would arrive on campus for the 2021-22 campaign.
That roster will contain a couple of forwards, but by no means is the ‘Cuse line-up too overstocked with guys at Williams’ small-forward position. Plus, one of those small forwards, Illinois transfer Alan Griffin, can also play shooting guard.
Additionally, Syracuse doesn’t currently possess a commit in the 2021 recruiting cycle, and Orange coaches have made Williams a high-priority target for some time now.
https://twitter.com/_bennywilliams/status/1255935036819492865
From a pure skills standpoint, Williams is a versatile player who can spot up at multiple positions on the floor, according to comments made by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s coach, Kevin Jones, as well as recruiting analysts.
Jones said in an article written by 247Sports Director of Recruiting Evan Daniels that Williams is a more than credible rebounder, an under-rated passer, and a high-energy guy who shoots proficiently from the perimeter and in the interior.
Furthermore, Jones lauded Williams for his athleticism, unrivaled work ethic and keen ability to block shots, something that is craved by the ‘Cuse 2-3 zone.
As a junior, Williams collected 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks a game, per Daniels’ piece. The primary recruiting services all place Williams in the top 60 of their national rankings across the 2021 class, with 247Sports the highest at No. 40.
In short, this would prove a huge get for Syracuse, which has experienced its fair share of misses lately in the fickle recruiting world.
While Orange coaches have doled out scholarship offers to a variety of prospects in the 2021 class, it appears that Williams is their top target at small forward in this class.
Should the ‘Cuse end up as Williams’ collegiate destination, and he plans to announce his decision over the next few months, that would provide a fabulous segue to five-star point guard Dior Johnson and possibly others in Syracuse’s class of 2022.