Syracuse Basketball: Benny Williams ranked too low in new ESPN ratings

Syracuse basketball 2021 commit Benny Williams will soon arrive on the Hill as one of the highest-rated recruits for the Orange program in recent memory.

Without question, ‘Cuse fans are excited for him to suit up for the Orange in the upcoming season, and I believe that the 6-foot-8 forward has an incredible opportunity to make a significant impact for Syracuse basketball in his freshman term.

Head coach Jim Boeheim has said on many occasions that recruiting rankings don’t necessarily reflect how a high-school prospect will actually perform in college, and I totally agree with him.

That being said, I’m the first to admit that I often rely on these ratings from various recruiting services to provide context in a lot of my articles. Williams, a senior at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., has attained five-star status from some recruiting Web sites, but not all of them.

Case in point, ESPN recently updated its player rankings for the 2021 class, and Williams is placed as four stars, No. 30 overall and No. 7 at power forward. This is of course my own personal take, but I think that ESPN doesn’t have Williams rated high enough in the 2021 cycle.

Syracuse basketball 2021 commit Benny Williams boasts an all-around excellent game.

For comparison’s sake, Rivals.com has Williams as five stars, No. 15 nationally and No. 5 at small forward. The 247Sports Composite also puts him as five stars, along with No. 27 overall and No. 7 at small forward.

Finally, 247Sports itself has Williams at four stars, No. 37 across the country and No. 7 at small forward. So it’s pretty much universal that Williams is a top-10 forward in the 2021 class, and he’s a top-40 overall prospect. That works for me.

But if I’m going to quibble for a second, Williams to me is a five-star player and a top-25 prospect nationally in the 2021 cycle. He recently got selected to compete in the 2021 Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, a major All-American game that will take place on May 8 in Memphis, Tenn.

Does it really matter if Williams is described by recruiting services as four or five stars, and a top-25 player or a top-40 prospect? Not in the least.

What matters is how Williams does once he gets to Central New York. Rivals.com analysts have opined that his fit with the Orange is the best within the entire 2021 class, and that’s encouraging.

High-quality rankings are nice, and Williams has them. But what would be even better is Williams helping to lead the ‘Cuse to a Final Four, or beyond, during his career with Syracuse basketball.