Syracuse basketball 4-star PG targets soar big-time in new 2022 rankings

One of the main recruiting services has updated its national rankings for the 2022 class, and two Syracuse basketball point guard prospects have made huge gains in these ratings.

As we’ve discussed on more than one occasion of late, numerous recruiting Web sites have had point guard Quadir Copeland unranked, and I fully expected that to change.

In a recent update of its top-150 players in this cycle, Rivals.com has placed the 6-foot-6 Copeland at No. 85 nationally. Considering that he is new to the Rivals.com ratings, this is a massive leap and well-deserved, from my perspective.

Copeland is a junior who is transferring from the Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J., to the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for his senior year. As he shines on the AAU circuit and for the IMG Academy, his national rankings could climb even further.

Syracuse basketball point guard prospects are making moves in the 2022 ratings.

Besides Copeland, another stellar point guard who skyrocketed in the Rivals.com rankings is Central New York native J.J. Starling, who is a junior at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.

Starling previously starred at Charles W. Baker High School in Baldwinsville, N.Y., and plays in AAU competitions for the Albany City Rocks, which has numerous ‘Cuse players within its alumni base.

Rivals.com arranges the 6-foot-3 Starling at No. 46 overall, an increase of 58 spots over his prior placement of No. 104 nationally. Starling made one of the largest jumps in the Rivals.com ratings for the 2022 cycle.

Frankly, Starling was ranked way too low at No. 104, so I’m glad to see him in the top 50 now. Rivals.com also has him as the No. 29 point guard in the 2022 class. This, to me, is also too low.

By the way, Rivals.com rates both Starling and Copeland as four stars. The same applies to a third point guard target for Syracuse basketball in this cycle, Chance Westry.

The four-star, 6-foot-5 Westry has improved by eight spots, to No. 24 overall. He is also No. 10 at point guard for this class. Westry is a junior who recently left the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., and moved back to Pennsylvania, where he is a native of Harrisburg.

All three of these 2022 point guards are exquisite, and I think that Syracuse basketball has an excellent chance to land one of them.