Syracuse basketball has a two-member 2020 recruiting class, as well as a transfer, and this class unsurprisingly isn’t rated all that high in the ACC.
A lot of Syracuse basketball fanatics have complained of late that the Orange is slipping as it pertains to its recruiting efforts. Some of their criticism is fair, and some of it is going too far, in my humble opinion.
Regardless, ESPN.com recently put out its final ratings of the top-100 incoming freshmen for the 2020 class. As such, I figured it might prove a relevant time to delve into how the ‘Cuse 2020 class compares to its foes in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The numbers, detailed below, aren’t stellar for our boys, but that’s no shock to the system whatsoever. A few additional prefaces on the subject are necessary before we dive into the data.
First and foremost, I’ll always rant and rave that you have to take these so-called rankings with the proverbial grain of salt. Sure, Syracuse often misses out on the premier prospects. But the Orange also recruits to its system, seemingly focusing less on paper ratings and more on fit. That, by the way, is something I really admire.
Secondly, as far as the ‘Cuse 2020 class goes, keep in mind that coming into the 2019-20 campaign, Syracuse boasted a roster of the fully allotted 13 scholarship players, and no seniors.
That meant the Orange’s 2020 class would inevitably prove relatively small, and a smaller class would likely drop its ratings when viewed against other ACC member schools.
An important caveat is that recruiting in the 2020 class isn’t entirely done, so various units could move up or down. Syracuse, for one, is in the final six for 2020 four-star center Frank Anselem.
Also, while the ‘Cuse has just two guys – four-star combo guard Kadary Richmond and four-star power forward Woody Newton – comprising its 2020 incoming freshmen, Syracuse did land a major get in Illinois transfer Alan Griffin, a talented sophomore wing whose status for officially competing this fall remains unclear.
In any event, I compiled how many top-100 incoming freshmen each ACC squad has in the 2020 recruiting cycle, as well as the class rankings for all of the league’s participants. This information is derived from ESPN.com, Rivals.com and the 247Sports Composite for the top-100 prospects, as well as Rivals.com and the 247Sports Composite for the class ratings.
The Orange has one top-100 player in Richmond, and that puts the ‘Cuse either tied for 6th, 7th or 8th in the conference. Syracuse, as a collective class, is placed at No. 11 out of 15 ACC crews.
Neither of these positions should come as a surprise, given the size of the Orange’s 2020 class. Still, if some ‘Cuse fans out there want to whine, that’s their prerogative.
For me, what matters the most aren’t these rankings. It’s what Syracuse players actually do on the court. Getting top-25, top-50 or top-100 guys is great. But having team chemistry and cohesion – ultimately, winning games – trumps everything else.
ACC School Comparisons
Top-100 Prospects, 2020 Class
ESPN.com
Duke: 6
North Carolina: 5
Miami: 2
N.C. State: 2
Virginia: 2
Virginia Tech: 2
Boston College: 1
Clemson: 1
Florida State: 1
Louisville: 1
Pittsburgh: 1
Syracuse: 1
Georgia Tech: 0
Notre Dame: 0
Wake Forest: 0
Rivals.com
Duke: 6
North Carolina: 6
Miami: 2
N.C. State: 2
Virginia: 2
Boston College: 1
Clemson: 1
Florida State: 1
Louisville: 1
Pittsburgh: 1
Syracuse: 1
Virginia Tech: 1
Georgia Tech: 0
Notre Dame: 0
Wake Forest: 0
247Sports Composite
Duke: 6
North Carolina: 5
Clemson: 2
Miami: 2
Pittsburgh: 2
Virginia: 2
Virginia Tech: 2
Boston College: 1
Florida State: 1
Louisville: 1
N.C. State: 1
Syracuse: 1
Georgia Tech: 0
Notre Dame: 0
Wake Forest: 0
Team 2020 Class Rankings
Rivals.com
Duke: 2
North Carolina: 3
N.C. State: 7
Florida State: 19
Pittsburgh: 20
Virginia: 21
Louisville: 33
Miami: 36
Clemson: 39
Virginia Tech: 44
Syracuse: 56
Boston College: 66
Georgia Tech: 67
Notre Dame: 67
Wake Forest: 67
247Sports Composite
Duke: 2
North Carolina: 3
Virginia: 14
Pittsburgh: 20
N.C. State: 21
Virginia Tech: 22
Louisville: 27
Miami: 37
Clemson: 42
Florida State: 46
Syracuse: 52
Georgia Tech: 56
Notre Dame: 68
Boston College: 70
Wake Forest: 73