Syracuse Basketball: Jai Smith has about 40 offers, but not from Orange

Syracuse basketball has yet to offer local product Jai Smith.

Perhaps it’s just not in the cards that Syracuse basketball is going to offer Central New York native and 2022 three-star power forward Jai Smith, whose recruitment has exploded on a national level.

We’ve written articles in the past that speak to the ‘Cuse program reportedly showing interest in the 6-foot-9 Smith, according to various recruiting analysts as well as interviews given by Smith himself.

However, to date, no scholarship offer has arrived from the Orange to Smith, who previously played for Bishop Ludden Junior-Senior High School in Syracuse and is now a junior at Bull City Prep Academy in Durham, N.C.

Per a review of various recruiting Web sites, Smith’s offer list has grown to about 40, which is pretty astounding. Some of his most recent scholarship offers have come from Texas and Kansas out of the Big 12 Conference, Big Ten Conference member Illinois, and a trio of Pac-12 Conference schools in Oregon, UCLA and Southern California.

Other offers are from high-major squads such as Maryland, Georgia, Missouri, LSU, N.C. State, St. John’s, Marquette, Arizona, Seton Hall, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Texas A&M, Alabama, Memphis, Houston, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.

We’d love to see Syracuse basketball offer three-star power forward Jai Smith.

Interestingly enough, considering all of these impressive scholarship offers that Smith has received, he’s a bit under-rated within the 2022 cycle.

Not all of the primary recruiting services presently rate him. Rivals.com places Smith at No. 150 overall. The 247Sports Composite has him at No. 158 nationwide.

Per the 247Sports Composite and 247Sports itself, they both rank Smith as a top-31 prospect at power forward in the 2022 class, as well as a top-five player from the state of New York.

Smith has said positive things about the Syracuse basketball program and head coach Jim Boeheim in the past. Smith has also noted his friendship with Dior Johnson, a 2022 five-star point guard, and the appeal that would have come from possibly playing alongside him on the Hill.

However, as we all know, Johnson re-opened his recruiting process last year, in essence de-committing from the Orange. So like I said at the onset, maybe it’s just not meant to be that the ‘Cuse will offer Smith.

It’s a bummer for Syracuse basketball fans, but Smith absolutely has plenty of other tremendous offers from which to choose.