Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Justin Taylor, to announce, would be huge get

Syracuse basketball will find out in a few days whether 2022 high-priority target Justin Taylor will don an Orange uniform down the road.

The 6-foot-6 Taylor, one of the premier wings across the country in his class, has trimmed his list of contenders to five teams, and the ‘Cuse made the cut.

His finalists are Syracuse basketball, Virginia, North Carolina, Indiana and Virginia Tech, according to a tweet from recruiting expert Joe Tipton. Additionally, Taylor will reveal his collegiate destination this Saturday, June 26.

This is a massive development for the Orange. The ‘Cuse coaching staff has made the four-star Taylor one of its biggest priorities in the 2022 class for a while now.

Taylor, a junior at the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va., is deemed a top-60 prospect nationwide in his cycle, according to numerous recruiting services.

I’ve said for quite some time that I believe Taylor would prove a terrific fit in the Syracuse basketball system. He is exceptional at shooting from the perimeter, can score in a variety of ways, has under-rated athleticism, and would fare well in the Orange’s 2-3 zone.

Syracuse basketball is in the top five for 2022 four-star Justin Taylor.

When I saw Taylor’s list of remaining suitors, it didn’t surprise me much at all. For months, analysts and other recruiting insiders have suggested that the ‘Cuse, UNC, UVA, Virginia Tech and Indiana likely had the best shot at winning the sweepstakes for Taylor.

Earlier this month, Taylor took an official visit to the Hill, and he has spoken highly of the Orange program on many occasions. He’s also taken official visits to the Tar Heels and the Hoosiers, as well as an unofficial visit to the Hokies. As far as the Cavaliers go, they are Taylor’s hometown team.

Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim has said that his son, junior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim, will end his career in Central New York after the upcoming campaign. That means Taylor possesses an opportunity to slide right in and earn quality minutes as a freshman.

Also, as we’ve documented multiple times, Taylor is friends with Orange 2021 five-star commit Benny Williams, a forward out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

The two of them have suited up together in the past on the AAU circuit for the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover, and Williams has helped in the recruiting of Taylor to the ‘Cuse.

I’m not in Taylor’s inner circle, but my gut tells me that Syracuse basketball has an excellent shot to prevail in his recruiting process. The chatter on social media and in chat rooms is that Indiana and North Carolina could prove the Orange’s biggest competition here.

I’m rooting for Taylor wherever he ends up, and my hope is that he selects Syracuse basketball. If he does, Taylor would join fellow four-star wing Kamari Lands in the squad’s 2022 class. Lands is a junior at Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif.