Syracuse Basketball: Wish list for Orange targets to land in next 3 cycles

Syracuse basketball is pursuing a slew of top-flight talents in the upcoming recruiting cycles, and here’s whom the Orange hopefully will get.

Some Syracuse basketball fans have felt less than thrilled with the Orange’s recruiting achievements in recent seasons, but, mark my words, the ‘Cuse future in this regard looks bright.

In the 2021 class, Syracuse basketball has secured small forward Benny Williams, who attends the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and recently obtained five-star status by Rivals.com.

Looking ahead to the 2022 class, we all know about the commitment earlier this year from five-star point guard Dior Johnson, whose status at the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., is unclear. However, Johnson is rated as high as No. 3 nationally by 247Sports.

Now, in those two cycles, plus the 2023 class, the Orange is pursuing a bevy of highly ranked prospects. We’ve compiled a collection of the guys in these three classes whom we’d love for the ‘Cuse to acquire.

This list only considers those prospects whom Syracuse basketball has actually offered scholarships to at this juncture, rather than mere interest, and we’re putting aside for the time being the amount of roster room that the team might ultimately have available in this trio of cycles.

2021
Recruiting analysts aren’t optimistic that the Orange will hear its name called for four-star power forward Arthur Kaluma out of Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Ariz.

As a result, the top target for the ‘Cuse in the 2021 class, from my perspective, is four-star center Micawber Etienne with the Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. Etienne holds an abundance of high-quality offers, along with recent interest from blue-blood Kentucky.

2022
This cycle is where Syracuse basketball has an opportunity to really load up on elite high-school players. The Orange has offered a boatload of prospects in the 2022 class, so let’s condense the list some.

At point guard, I’ll go with Central New York product J.J. Starling, a four-star player who has transferred from Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y., to the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.

Moving to shooting guard, I’ve got my eye on three stars. They are four-star Roddy Gayle Jr. from Lewiston-Porter High School in Youngstown, N.Y., five-star Zion Cruz, who plans to leave the Oak Hill Academy for The Patrick School in Hillside, N.J., and four-star Chance Westry out of the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif. If Syracuse basketball could nab one of these studs, that would prove huge.

Switching to small forwards, here is a quartet where my fingers are crossed that the ‘Cuse will pick up one prospect. They are five-star Jarace Walker with the IMG Academy, four-star Ty Rodgers from Grand Blanc Community High School in Grand Blanc, Mich., four-star Yann Farrell out of the Brewster Academy, and four-star Kamari Lands, who attends Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif.

Finally, at center, the top target for Syracuse basketball is absolutely four-star Donovan Clingan, who is out of Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Conn.

2023
For now, the Orange hasn’t pledged many offers to prospects in this class, and that’s due to these guys only just beginning their sophomore campaigns.

However, in an ideal scenario, Syracuse basketball would get five-star wing Elijah Fisher from Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto, Ontario, and four-star power forward G.G. Jackson with Ridge View High School in Columbia, S.C.

That’s it, folks. As always, let us know what we got right, and where we slipped up!