Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Justin Taylor sees blue-blood, others enter mix

For a while now, Syracuse basketball coaches have made 2022 four-star wing Justin Taylor a high-priority in this recruiting cycle, and the talented 6-foot-6 prospect has detailed his strong relationship with head coach Jim Boeheim and his assistants in several recent interviews.

It appears that the Orange is in a solid position with Taylor, however, the competition for his services is growing more and more intense. Case in point, Taylor recently disclosed via Twitter that he has received scholarship offers from fellow Atlantic Coast Conference foe North Carolina, as well as former Big East Conference rival Providence.

Taylor, a junior at the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va., also picked up an offer from his hometown collegiate team, Virginia, in early December, per his Twitter page.

Those more recent developments are just the tip of the iceberg as it pertains to Taylor’s recruitment. He also holds offers from the likes of Indiana, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Maryland, N.C. State, Butler and Marquette, among others. Taylor’s offer count is approaching 20 at this juncture.

Syracuse basketball is in a recruiting battle for 2022 four-star wing Justin Taylor.

According to analysts, Taylor is an extremely gifted shooter with excellent size who can score in a variety of ways. He has a stellar basketball IQ, possesses under-rated athleticism, and excels on both ends of the floor.

Besides his official offers, other high-major squads that are showing interest in Taylor include Michigan, which is presently a top-five group in the 2020-21 campaign and has crushed things on the recruiting trail of late.

Regarding the timeline of his recruiting process, Taylor recently told Jamie Shaw of Rivals.com, “I think I could see myself narrowing down my list this spring, maybe after I play a couple of sessions on the EYBL. And then I hope to make a final decision by mid-summer, late summer, sometime around then.”

"Taylor said of his relationship with the Orange coaching staff in the Rivals.com piece, “I talk to coach (Jim) Boeheim and coach GMac (assistant coach Gerry McNamara), GMac pretty consistently. We really just talk about anything, life, basketball. I talked with coach Boeheim on the phone a couple of times. Their guards have a lot of freedom to shoot the ball. They think I would fit really well in their system.”"

Rivals.com, 247Sports and the 247Sports Composite all place Taylor as a top-20 small forward nationally in the 2022 class. He is rated No. 60 overall by 247Sports and No. 69 via Rivals.com, as well as a top-five player in Virginia.

In short, Syracuse basketball would prove quite fortunate to land Taylor. Yet with the Tar Heels, the Cavaliers and many other impressive squads vying for Taylor, it will amount to a huge challenge for the ‘Cuse to win out.