Syracuse basketball continues to be mentioned as one of the primary contenders for elite 2022 prospect Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, however, a Southeastern Conference school appears to have gained momentum for the five-star power forward.
Not too long ago, 247Sports national analyst and director of basketball scouting Jerry Meyer entered a crystal-ball prediction for Huntley-Hatfield to Tennessee, with a high confidence level of 7.
Even more recently, Rivals.com national analyst Jamie Shaw also made a prediction that Huntley-Hatfield will ultimately select Tennessee.
Ole Miss, another SEC group, has received probably the most buzz for the 6-foot-9 Huntley-Hatfield for the longest period of time, according to some recruiting analysts.
And Ole Miss still has the most overall predictions for Huntley-Hatfield on the 247Sports Web site and Rivals.com. However, Tennessee has received these newer projections for Huntley-Hatfield, suggesting that the Volunteers are coming on strong of late and could perhaps be perceived as the front-runner for him.
Syracuse basketball has tough SEC competition for 2022 five-star target Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.
Huntley-Hatfield, a junior at Scotland Campus in Scotland, Pa., disclosed a top six last December of the Orange, along with Ole Miss, Kansas, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Auburn.
The ‘Cuse got involved with Huntley-Hatfield a little later on in his recruiting process than other teams, and he has spoken highly of the Syracuse basketball coaching staff and the program as a whole.
Huntley-Hatfield would be a game-changer for the Orange, as he is the No. 1 power forward in the 2022 cycle as well as a top-10 overall prospect in this class, according to numerous recruiting services.
"Meyer, in explaining his prediction for Huntley-Hatfield to Tennessee, wrote in a recent article, “The Volunteers are desperate for frontline help next year, and the word is that Huntley-Hatfield is open to reclassifying up to 2021. Add into the equation that Bobby Maze, the former Tennessee point guard and director of the B-Maze Elite travel program, for whom current Vol standout Jaden Springer played for, is a strong mentor of Huntley-Hatfield. Syracuse has also been mentioned prominently with him. Kentucky is also involved and has a special tie to Huntley-Hatfield who is a cousin to former Wildcat Alex Poythress.”"
It’s been encouraging that the ‘Cuse has gotten some buzz for Huntley-Hatfield since offering him late last year, however, if I had to give my own prediction, I think that Tennessee is in the No. 1 spot for him, followed by Ole Miss at No. 2 and Syracuse basketball at No. 3.