Syracuse Basketball: Top-85 Justin Taylor best 2022 player in VA, he says

Syracuse basketball coaches have a strong relationship with 2022 four-star wing Justin Taylor.

Syracuse basketball appears to be prioritizing 2022 four-star wing Justin Taylor, and the Orange is in good shape with the 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward, some recruiting analysts say.

However, high-major competition continues to expand for the ‘Cuse as it pertains to Taylor, a junior at the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va.

Per his Twitter page, Taylor recently earned a scholarship offer from fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Virginia, which captured the 2019 NCAA championship. Another more recent offer arrived from Lehigh.

Other schools that have received some buzz surrounding Taylor’s recruitment, besides the Orange and UVA, include ACC squads N.C. State and Virginia Tech, Indiana and former Big East Conference rival Georgetown.

Taylor, in a recent interview with Zach Schumaker, says that blue-blood program/ACC crew North Carolina and Big Ten Conference group Michigan have also shown interest in him.

The Cavaliers are a formidable recruiting foe, as would be the Tar Heels and the Wolverines, among other teams. Syracuse basketball offered Taylor in July, and other offers have come from Maryland, Marquette, Butler, Richmond, George Washington, Liberty, James Madison, Old Dominion and Saint Joseph’s.

Justin Taylor, a 2022 four-star wing, speaks glowingly of Syracuse basketball.

In his chat with Schumaker, Taylor displays a ton of high character, work ethic, humbleness and confidence. He is rated within the top 85 of the 2022 cycle according to numerous recruiting services, a recognition that Taylor calls a “blessing” for which he is “grateful.”

Known as one of the best long-range shooters across the country in the 2022 class, Taylor is working hard on his craft to show that he’s way more than a spot-up shooter. He says that he’s a versatile player who can score at all three levels, and on defense he can guard positions one through four.

While there are a ton of talented high-school prospects in the Commonwealth of Virginia, within his class, Taylor firmly believes that he is the best player in Virginia. I admire that kind of confidence.

Overall in the 2022 recruiting cycle, the 247Sports Composite rates Taylor at No. 82 overall, 247Sports has him at No. 60 and Rivals.com puts Taylor at No. 63. He is not currently ranked by ESPN in its top 60 for this class.

Taylor notes his excellent relationship with ‘Cuse head coach Jim Boeheim and assistant coach Gerry McNamara. As a versatile scorer who is lethal from deep, has solid length and defends well, Taylor would prove a tremendous fit in the Orange’s 2-3 zone and the team’s system in general.

He says he really likes Syracuse basketball, a program whose history “speaks for itself.” Boeheim would be fun to play for, Taylor says, because he has so much knowledge of the game and lets his guys be themselves on the court.