Syracuse Basketball: Five-star Brandon Huntley-Hatfield ‘high on’ Orange

Syracuse basketball appears in strong shape with 2022 five-star Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.

A few days ago, I penned a column in which I expressed a good feeling about the possibility of 2022 five-star power forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield ultimately selecting Syracuse basketball.

Well, Huntley-Hatfield boasts an ultra-competitive top six, however, he has some really nice things to say about the Orange, and ‘Cuse fans should feel elated about the potential of him wearing a SU uniform as part of the 2022 cycle.

The 6-foot-9 Huntley-Hatfield, a junior at Scotland Campus in Scotland, Pa., is a consensus top-10 prospect in his class, according to all of the main recruiting services, and he’s also the No. 1 power forward in this cycle.

Should he choose Syracuse basketball, that will provide the ‘Cuse with an opportunity to build an extremely talented 2022 class around him.

Huntley-Hatfield has a half-dozen finalists of Syracuse basketball, along with Ole Miss, Kansas, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Auburn. He recently held a Zoom call with Orange coaches, and all signs indicate that it went quite well.

Following the virtual meeting, he told Sports Illustrated director of basketball recruiting Jason Jordan, “One of the most genuine conversations I’ve had in a while with a college. Coach [Jim] Boeheim said I’m their guy in my class.”

You can’t ask for much more than that!

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, an elite 2022 power forward, seems bullish on Syracuse basketball.

Huntley-Hatfield is chronicling his recruitment through a blog via SI All-American, and he detailed his recent Zoom with the Orange in his piece.

"Saying the call went “great,” he added, “They really told me what I meant to them as a player. It was really different because they didn’t mention me coming in 2021. They told me that they weren’t gonna recruit anyone else at my position because I was their guy in my class. … They were just really excited about having a chance in my recruitment, and I could tell that they really wanted me there. I feel like their track record with guys like me is something that could set me up for success, so they’re definitely a school that I’m high on.”"

Again, you never know what will happen in the fickle and often heart-breaking recruiting arena, but for my money, Syracuse basketball has an excellent shot to land Huntley-Hatfield.

He did note that he’s been in contact with two stellar SEC schools in LSU and Missouri, but he added, “Right now, though, I’m focusing on the six schools that I have. I really want to focus all of my attention on them so I can make the best decision when the time comes. … You never know what will happen in the future, but, for now, I am focused on my top six.”

In moving his recruitment forward, Huntley-Hatfield says that he wants to continue talking to coaches at these half-dozen schools “and building those bonds.”

Under his bio on the 247Sports Web site, the Orange and Ole Miss are presently listed as “warmer” as it pertains to interest level. We’ll keep on monitoring Huntley-Hatfield’s recruiting process, and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if some analyst predictions are logged in the near future for Syracuse basketball.