Syracuse Basketball: Like Kamari Lands, Chris Bunch flying bit under radar

I see a lot of similarities in Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Kamari Lands and Orange 2022 target Chris Bunch.

Both are four-star wings who play high-school ball in California. Each prospect is immensely talented, athletic and versatile. They play similar positions.

Yes, for now, Lands has much higher national rankings than Bunch, but based on recent comments from some analysts, Bunch likely will see his ratings within the 2022 cycle climb.

More than anything else, and of course this is just my own personal take, but both Lands and Bunch have seemed to fly a bit under the radar as it pertains to their recruiting process, especially related to the ‘Cuse.

Let’s be honest. When the 6-foot-8 Lands, a junior at Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., gave his verbal commitment to Syracuse basketball this past April, it probably caught a lot of Orange fans by surprise. A pleasant surprise, of course.

That’s because, at least in the public domain, whether that be media reports, analyst comments, or chatter on social media and in chat rooms, there didn’t appear to be as much outward-facing buzz between Syracuse basketball and Lands.

Behind the scenes, though, it could have been a different story. Regardless, Lands, a top-25 player in the 2022 class, has pledged his services to the ‘Cuse.

Syracuse basketball commit Kamari Lands and target Chris Bunch have recruiting resemblances.

Things may have seemed a tad quieter in the public sphere related to Lands and the Orange, and I would characterize Bunch in a similar manner.

I’ve certainly read some articles about the 6-foot-7 Bunch which speak to ‘Cuse coaches courting him, but it doesn’t appear to be as frequent as with other Syracuse basketball 2022 targets, such as four-star wing Justin Taylor, four-star point guard J.J. Starling, four-star center Donovan Clingan, four-star combo guard Chance Westry and three-star point guard Quadir Copeland.

Bunch, a junior at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., is a top-100 prospect in the 2022 cycle, according to some recruiting Web sites.

Perhaps part of the reason why he has flown more under the radar than those other guys is that he isn’t as highly rated on a national basis.

This summer, he is competing for the Oklahoma-based Team Griffin Basketball on the AAU circuit. Strong play in AAU competitions could help Bunch receive a rankings boost, recruiting insiders say.

As we detailed in a recent column, Orange coaches are prioritizing Bunch, along with Florida State, Oregon, Seton Hall and USC, per Eric Bossi, the national basketball director for 247Sports.

Mike Waters of Syracuse.com tweeted out that Bunch recently had a Zoom call with the ‘Cuse coaching staff, and also that Bunch is looking to take a visit to the Hill at some point.

Maybe the online chatter about Bunch and Syracuse basketball will soon pick up more steam. Maybe it won’t. Frankly, all that matters to me is whether Bunch follows a similar path as Lands – and joins him in the ‘Cuse 2022 class.