Dear Syracuse basketball fans: Orange can still recruit pretty darn good

Frank Anselem and Benny Williams committing to Syracuse basketball reflect that the Orange knows how to recruit.

With the full allotment of 13 scholarship players on the Syracuse basketball roster during the 2019-20 campaign, including no seniors, the assumption all along was that the Orange would end up with a fairly small 2020 class.

Now, when the Atlantic Coast Conference’s leading scorer in 2019-20, former ‘Cuse star Elijah Hughes, elected to head to the professional ranks, along with a trio of Syracuse guards entering the transfer portal, that freed up some room for the Orange coaches to restock their line-up. They’ve done an excellent job doing so.

Frank Anselem, a 2020 four-star center, picked the ‘Cuse over Georgia, San Diego State and New Mexico. His decision, which ignited a flurry of cheer from Syracuse fanatics on social media, means that the Orange’s 2020 recruiting cycle has almost assuredly come to a conclusion.

For all the frequent complaining by ‘Cuse fans about the state of Syracuse’s recruiting efforts – some of which is merited, I might add – the Orange has performed admirably with its 2020 class.

Oh, and if that wasn’t fruitful enough, about 24 hours after Anselem chose the ‘Cuse, another four-star guy, 2021 small forward Benny Williams, gave the green light to Syracuse over his other three finalists in Georgetown, Maryland and Miami.

Williams is a top-60 player in the 2021 class, a top-10 small forward, and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Maryland. He’s the inaugural commit for the Orange in its 2021 recruiting cycle. Those are not too shabby credentials for Williams.

Switching back to the 2020 class, let’s all remember that this class wasn’t supposed to have a huge allotment of prospects. But at present it features Anselem, four-star combo guard Kadary Richmond, four-star power forward Woody Newton and Illinois transfer Alan Griffin, who is universally deemed as a top-10 traditional transfer across the country.

After Anselem opted for the Hill, the ‘Cuse 2020 class jumped up to No. 35 in the team rankings on the 247Sports Web site. Syracuse’s rating, it’s important to note, only factors in its three high-school players, but not Griffin.

Plus, there are numerous reputable programs that fall below the Orange in these rankings, and many of them have larger classes than the ‘Cuse.

What’s more, Anselem is slotted at No. 142 overall in the 2020 class by 247Sports, but his rating in the 2021 class, before he decided to reclassify into the 2020 class, proved significantly better.

Syracuse basketball, with Frank Anselem and Benny Williams on board, is recruiting at a stellar level.

Look, I get that there are Syracuse fans out there who want the Orange to land five-star, top-25 prospects time after time, and they’re disappointed when this doesn’t usually occur. That’s fine.

I’m more realistic, though. If the ‘Cuse can sprinkle in blue-chip recruits throughout its classes with four-star, top-100 guys who will play in Central New York for a couple of years, that seems like a strong recipe for success.

So for the Syracuse 2020 class to boast three four-star players and a top-10 transfer, by my estimation, is absolutely commendable. Let’s also not forget that 2018 five-star forward Darius Bazley had selected the Orange before surprisingly taking a season off to train for the NBA Draft.

You may have heard of 2022 five-star point guard Dior Johnson, who committed to the ‘Cuse earlier this year. Syracuse isn’t typically going to win out versus the likes of Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina and a handful of other squads that frequently secure the highest-ranked prospects.

But that’s okay. The Orange continues to recruit well regardless.