Syracuse Basketball: Orange lands no love in ESPN’s ACC recruiting story

A panel of ESPN writers recently debated a handful of topics related to recruiting in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Syracuse basketball was nowhere to be found in the conversation.

To be fair, some of the themes that the ESPN writers tackled were completely irrelevant to the Orange, such as the challenges that new North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis will face in building up that program following the retirement of three-time national champion Roy Williams.

But the ‘Cuse still was left out of this piece, and whether or not that really means something is subject to interpretation by all the Syracuse basketball fans out there.

There is a contingent of Orange fanatics that continues to lament the state of the team’s recruiting efforts. For me, I do think that the ‘Cuse has seen a small dip in recruiting in recent seasons, but there are factors that have played a role in this and cannot get ignored.

The NCAA penalties stung for a while. Uncertainty over how long head coach Jim Boeheim would stay on could have created some challenges. Mike Hopkins, an ace recruiter, leaving to lead Washington didn’t help things.

More recently, the new one-time transfer policy is facilitating a free-agency explosion in college basketball, and that will affect every squad out there, including the Orange.

However, I am pretty emphatic in believing that the ‘Cuse has developed some positive momentum in the recruiting arena that provides me with optimism for the future.

Syracuse basketball is on the rise in the ACC’s recruiting world.

For one, 2021 forward Benny Williams is a five-star prospect according to numerous recruiting services. About a month ago, the Orange secured a commitment from elite 2022 wing Kamari Lands, a top-25 player who until recently was rated as five stars by ESPN.

What’s more, Syracuse basketball is pursuing a range of stellar prospects in both the 2022 and 2023 recruiting cycles. The Orange’s recruiting trajectory seems on an upward swing.

That brings us to this recent ESPN article on the recruiting landscape within the ACC.

One question in the piece surrounded the ACC head coach who is the most underrated for his ability to recruit or construct a team. Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton got the most nods, although one also came in for Virginia’s Tony Bennett. Can’t argue with either of those two.

Another question posed, “If you had a 17-year-old son who was being recruited as a prospect by every ACC men’s basketball program, which choice would help you sleep best at night?” The answers were split between Florida State and Virginia.

I guess that I’m biased here, because if my son, who will turn five years old in early July, was being recruited by all of the ACC teams down the road, I’d of course pick my alma mater, the ‘Cuse. I’m a homer, I know.

The ESPN writers also debated which ACC school they would pick as a “sleeping giant,” that is, a team that can “establish fresh momentum on the recruiting trail.”

The panelists gave two votes for N.C. State, as well as one each for Georgia Tech and Boston College. Part of the dilemma here for Syracuse basketball is that the Orange isn’t really a sleeping giant.

Even with a recent dip in recruiting, the ‘Cuse historically is pretty darn good at it. That being said, since it moved from the Big East Conference to the ACC in the 2013-14 campaign, Syracuse basketball has seen somewhat of a drop-off.

Yet with Williams and Lands headed to the Hill, and perhaps other top-flight prospects over the next few classes, I’ll contend that the Orange’s recruiting efforts are positioned well for the years to come.