Syracuse Basketball: Chaz Owens brings athleticism, versatility to Orange
By Neil Adler
Syracuse basketball has filled up its allotment of 13 scholarship players with the intriguing addition of 2020 wing Chaz Owens.
Chaz Owens, a promising 2020 prospect and the son of former Syracuse basketball legend Billy Owens, is an under-the-radar player in this recruiting cycle who boasts a bunch of tantalizing attributes.
There isn’t a lot of information available on Chaz Owens via the primary recruiting services. In his bio on the Verbal Commits Web site, he is listed as a 6-foot-5 small forward who hails from Philadelphia.
Although unranked by 247Sports and Rivals.com, Verbal Commits says that in late February of this year, he landed scholarship offers from two Division II programs, Clarion University in Clarion, Pa., and Georgian Court University in Lakewood, N.J.
Orange head coach Jim Boeheim disclosed that Owens has joined the squad, according to a press release posted to cuse.com. Owens, an incoming freshman, is on scholarship, a Syracuse basketball spokesman says.
Owens coming on board, by the way, means that the Orange now has 13 scholarship players on its roster for the 2020-21 campaign, which is the maximum number allowed by the NCAA in Division I hoops.
Chaz Owens, the son of former Syracuse basketball star and All-American Billy Owens, has committed to the Orange.
According to the cuse.com statement, Owens most recently spent a season in a post-graduate program at Scotland Campus, a prep school in Scotland, Pa.
Prior to that, he suited up for two stanzas each at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pa., as well as at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pa. Per cuse.com, as a senior during the 2018-19 term, he averaged 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest for The Shipley School.
In reading a handful of stories about Owens, he definitely seems to possess terrific athleticism and an ability to finish off plays well around the basket – and above the rim. His versatility is strong, as he can play several positions, and Owens also is proficient from beyond the arc.
By heading to the Hill, Owens represents the second son of a former Syracuse basketball player to presently reside on the team’s roster. The other, naturally, is junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim, the son of ‘Cuse head coach and former player Jim Boeheim.
The Orange’s 2020 class has increased to five members. They are Owens, Illinois transfer wing Alan Griffin, four-star combo guard Kadary Richmond, four-star power forward Woody Newton, and four-star center Frank Anselem.
This cycle for Syracuse basketball isn’t super highly rated by the main recruiting services on a national scale, and that’s fine. The ‘Cuse 2020 class, from my perspective, does contain a lot of talent.