Syracuse Basketball: 5-star Benny Williams top 20 in final Rivals rankings

Syracuse basketball 2021 commit Benny Williams is a top-20 player nationally within his class, according to one of the primary recruiting services.

Rivals.com recently unveiled its final national ratings for the top-150 prospects in the 2021 recruiting cycle, and Williams is highly placed in these rankings.

The 6-foot-8 Williams, a senior at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., is rated as five stars by Rivals.com, as well as No. 18 overall and No. 5 at the small-forward position in his class.

Previously, Rivals.com had Williams at No. 15 nationally, so he fell three spots in the final rankings. Honestly, though, that means little to me.

When the Orange commences its next season in a few months’ time, the team will boast one of its highest-rated recruits in recent program history.

Let that sink in for a second. For the contingent of ‘Cuse fanatics that has been frustrated by the Syracuse basketball recruiting efforts in recent years, Williams will arrive on the Hill as a top-20 player overall in the 2021 cycle and a top-five small forward. That’s pretty good.

Syracuse basketball 2021 commit Benny Williams should shine in Central New York.

Besides Rivals.com, the 247Sports Composite has Williams as five stars and No. 26 nationally. ESPN arranges him as four stars and No. 30 overall.

Finally, 247Sports rates Williams as four stars and No. 37 around the country in the 2021 class. I could quibble about the rankings given to Williams by ESPN and 247Sports, but the point here is that he possesses tremendous potential, and Orange fans are naturally eager to see Williams don a ‘Cuse uniform.

He put forth a strong senior stanza for the IMG Academy, which is one of the premier prep-school squads in the sport of high-school basketball.

For his performance at the IMG Academy, Williams was recently selected to suit up in the 2021 Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, a major All-American game that took place in Memphis, Tenn.

Additionally, when Spalding recently disclosed its All-American groups for the 2021 cycle, Williams received inclusion in the honorable-mention category.

All in all, Williams showed this past season that he can play, and play well, against elite competition. Sure, he will have to continue to hone his craft as he prepares to face opposing teams in the rugged Atlantic Coast Conference and other Division I leagues.

However, I have every confidence that Williams is going to have an incredible career with Syracuse basketball. I’m excited for his Orange tenure to begin.