Syracuse Basketball: Orange targets make moves in new 2022 rankings
By Neil Adler
Recruiting service Prep Hoops has put out its latest ratings for the 2022 class, with many Syracuse basketball prospects in the top 50.
Syracuse basketball has one five-star commit in its 2022 recruiting cycle, and the Orange is honing in on about 10 different targets to potentially join elite point guard Dior Johnson in this class.
Prep Hoops, a recruiting service, recently published its most-recent rankings of the top-250 players across the country in the 2022 class, and virtually all of the guys whom the ‘Cuse is targeting arrive in the top 100, if not higher.
Johnson, who in April said that he would transfer from Mayfair High School in Lakewood, Calif., to powerhouse program Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., checks in at No. 11 on the Prep Hoops list. A lot of the other main recruiting services peg Johnson as a top-five prospect in his class and the No. 1 point guard.
Five-star shooting guard Zion Cruz, who is joining Johnson at Oak Hill Academy, is rated No. 13 by Prep Hoops.
Jarace Walker, a five-star small forward out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is No. 30. This is much lower than 247Sports, ESPN.com and Rivals.com, all of which place Walker in the top-11 overall in the 2022 class.
Four-star shooting guard Chance Westry is No. 34. Westry revealed this past weekend that he plans to transfer from Trinity High School in Camp Hill, Pa., to the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., a team whose roster also includes LeBron James’ son, Bronny James.
A ton of Syracuse basketball targets appear in the top 100 of the latest Prep Hoops rankings for the 2022 class.
Four-star small forward Chris Bunch, from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., is No. 38, which is a huge jump from other recruiting services, where he falls in the top-80 to top-100 range.
Four-star shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who attends Lewiston-Porter High School in Youngstown, N.Y., is No. 43.
Kamari Lands, a four-star small forward with La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., is No. 65. Ty Rodgers, another four-star small forward who is from Grand Blanc Community High School in Grand Blanc, Mich., is No. 71.
Three-star small forward Yann Farrell, out of West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md., is No. 93.
Four-star shooting guard J.J. Starling, who has gone to Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y., but is considering a transfer to a prep school, is No. 111.
In somewhat of a surprise, Donovan Clingan is not within the top 250 of the 2022 class, at least for now, according to Prep Hoops. ESPN.com recently rated the center, who is from Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Conn., as four stars.