Syracuse Basketball: Benny Williams digs Justin Taylor for SU’s 2022 class

Syracuse basketball 2021 five-star commit Benny Williams and 2022 four-star target Justin Taylor are forming a strong relationship, Williams says in a piece by Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI.

With five-star point guard Dior Johnson having reneged on his verbal commitment to the Orange last November and reopened his recruiting process, that leaves the ‘Cuse at present without a commitment in its 2022 class.

Syracuse basketball coaches continue to pursue a handful of top-flight talents in this cycle, according to analysts and other recruiting insiders.

Those 2022 prospects seem to include, among others, four-star point guard J.J. Starling, three-star point guard Quadir Copeland, four-star wing Ty Rodgers, fellow wing Taylor, five-star power forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, four-star center Donovan Clingan and three-star center Riley Mulvey.

When it comes to the 6-foot-6 Taylor, a junior at the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va., ‘Cuse coaches are making him a priority in the 2022 cycle, although competition for him continues to grow, as we detailed in a recent article.

Williams, a 6-foot-8 forward and the Orange’s sole 2021 pledge, has said on more than one occasion that he believes the ‘Cuse will notch an excellent 2022 class. And he wants to help that get achieved.

Syracuse basketball commit Benny Williams and high-priority target Justin Taylor have forged a bond.

According to McAllister’s story, Williams “has been in contact with” Taylor. Williams said of Taylor, “I’ve reached out to him a couple times about Syracuse for [the] 2022 class. He’s definitely been receptive. Me and him have a great relationship on and off the court.”

Since Williams gave his verbal commitment to the Orange in June of last year, he’s proven such a tremendous advocate for the ‘Cuse program. The future Syracuse basketball player is having a really good senior stanza for the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Williams, rated No. 15 nationally in the 2021 cycle by Rivals.com, certainly has NBA potential, and whether he stays in Central New York for just one season, or beyond that, remains to be seen.

But it’s wonderful to hear that he’s developing a solid relationship with other talented players, like Taylor, who is ranked No. 60 overall in the 2022 class by 247Sports.

I think that Syracuse basketball has a great shot at landing Taylor, but his list of suitors is impressive, with recent additions such as North Carolina, Providence and Virginia.

If Williams did stay at the ‘Cuse for at least two years, and Taylor elected to don an Orange uniform, they would represent some kind of one-two punch for Syracuse basketball. Only time will tell if that can become a reality.