Syracuse Basketball: Former Big East rival in mix for 4-star Justin Taylor

Syracuse basketball 2022 high-priority target Justin Taylor has landed a scholarship offer from former Big East Conference foe Connecticut, the latest in a string of Orange targets within this cycle who recently picked up offers from the Huskies.

Given the relative geographic proximity between the ‘Cuse and UConn in the Northeast, this isn’t all that surprising. However, Connecticut head coach Dan Hurley has his program on an upward trajectory. Additionally, the Huskies and the Orange have battled it out on the recruiting trail multiple times in recent years.

The 6-foot-6 Taylor, a junior who attends the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va., disclosed his new offer from UConn via Twitter. He also recently obtained an offer from Florida.

The four-star wing, who has been showcasing his skills on the AAU circuit with the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover, is one of the most important prospects for Syracuse basketball in the 2022 class.

According to a tweet from recruiting guru Jake Weingarten, the founder of Stockrisers.com, Taylor plans to take visits to the Orange, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Indiana next month.

Syracuse basketball has intense competition for 2022 top-100 player Justin Taylor.

While Taylor has numerous other offers, those four groups, along with Virginia, have been linked to him for a while now, per comments from several recruiting insiders. How these newer offers from Florida and UConn could factor into his recruitment is something we’ll absolutely monitor.

The Huskies don’t seem to concern some ‘Cuse fans all that much, according to comments that I read in chat rooms and on social media.

For me, though, I believe that Connecticut is a formidable recruiting adversary for Syracuse basketball as it relates to a bunch of other 2022 prospects.

As we’ve detailed, UConn recently offered four-star wing Ty Rodgers at Grand Blanc Community High School in Grand Blanc, Mich., as well as four-star combo guard Chance Westry, who recently left the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., to move back to Pennsylvania.

Another Orange target in the 2022 cycle, three-star point guard Quadir Copeland, also received an offer from Connecticut of late. Copeland is transferring from the Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J., to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior season.

Beyond these guys, others in the 2022 class who possess both Syracuse basketball and UConn offers are four-star power forward Kyle Filipowski, five-star combo guard Zion Cruz, five-star forward Jarace Walker and four-star center Donovan Clingan.

I’ve felt for a good amount of time now that the ‘Cuse has a solid shot at picking up Taylor, even if the competition for him just expanded. He would thrive in the Syracuse basketball system.