The Syracuse basketball run to the Sweet 16 has the entirety of Orange Nation totally jazzed, and that includes high-school players with connections to the ‘Cuse.
Mike McAllister, the publisher of SyracuseOnSI and one of the best in the business, has published a really cool article that we wanted to pass along. McAllister talked to a handful of Orange prospects about the team’s magical journey to date in the 2021 Big Dance.
The ‘Cuse, by the way, is a No. 11 seed in the current NCAA Tournament. After knocking off No. 6 seed San Diego State and No. 3 seed West Virginia, the Orange is set to battle No. 2 seed Houston on Saturday night in the regional semi-finals.
Let’s see what some Syracuse basketball recruits had to say in McAllister’s piece. Benny Williams, a 2021 five-star forward from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., who has committed to the ‘Cuse, said, “Me and my dad were so hyped. Can’t wait for the next game.”
Four-star wing Justin Taylor, a high-priority target for Syracuse basketball in the 2022 class, is out of the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va.
He said to McAllister, “I think the zone is really bothering these teams because they haven’t seen it yet and don’t have much time to prepare for it. If they keep shooting the ball like this too, I think they could continue to make a run in the tournament.”
Syracuse basketball prospects are weighing in on the Orange’s Sweet 16 run.
Quadir Copeland, a talented yet under-rated 2022 point guard, said to McAllister, “Amazing. It’s beautiful to see.” Copeland is a three-star player who attends the Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, a 2022 five-star power forward with Scotland Campus in Scotland, Pa., who has the ‘Cuse among his small group of finalists, said of the Orange’s success so far in March Madness, “Great team dub! I’m interested in seeing how far they go.”
Finally, elite 2022 big man Donovan Clingan said to McAllister, “I called it. (Houston is) tough matchup. They are good. Buddy (Boeheim) needs to stay hot.”
Clingan is a four-star center who is absolutely crushing things so far in his junior campaign for Bristol Central High School in Bristol, Conn.
I’m not saying that any of these prospects will ultimately pick Syracuse basketball because of this latest Big Dance run, however, clearly these high-school players are paying attention to it, and that’s an encouraging sign.