Syracuse Basketball: Orange recruiting is totally back, with a vengeance

Yes, Syracuse basketball saw a dip in recruiting over the past few seasons, since the team moved from the Big East Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference, while dealing with recruiting limitations brought on by NCAA sanctions.

Those days seem to be gone, my friends. At least I hope that they are.

My gut tells me that the Orange’s recruiting efforts are headed toward being absolutely relevant on a national scale, season after season, with top-10 to top-20 classes the norm, rather than the exception. Of course, we’ll have to see what occurs after head coach Jim Boeheim eventually retires.

On Saturday, 2022 four-star wing Justin Taylor announced on social media that he would attend the ‘Cuse. He selected Syracuse basketball over North Carolina, Indiana, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Taylor, a junior at the St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Va., is an elite shooting guard and deemed a top-60 prospect within his class, according to most recruiting services.

More importantly, the Orange secured him despite his hometown team, Virginia, being in the mix, as well as several other ACC adversaries. This is a big deal for the ‘Cuse, in my humble opinion.

Syracuse basketball recruiting is faring quite well these days.

Additionally, this past April, the Orange picked up a verbal commitment from another 2022 four-star wing, Kamari Lands out of Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif. Lands is on the cusp of reaching five-star status, and he’s a top-25 prospect in this cycle, per ESPN.

So, at this juncture, Syracuse basketball has a 2022 class that includes a top-25 player and a top-60 player. Frankly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Taylor enters the top 40 when all is said and done.

Plus, the ‘Cuse is firmly in the running for a range of other top-flight prospects in the 2022 cycle. The team could absolutely get two to four additional players in this class.

And let’s not forget that its 2021 class, while only featuring one member, consisted of five-star forward Benny Williams. Out of the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Williams is ranked in the top-20 nationally within his cycle, per Rivals.com.

To recap, the Orange’s last three commits are in the top 20, the top 25 and the top 60. I recognize that Syracuse basketball isn’t Duke or Kentucky, but this is really something to be happy about, my fellow ‘Cuse fanatics.

The Orange in 2022 isn’t done. Hardly. And Syracuse basketball coaches are pursuing four- and five-star prospects in 2023 and 2024 as well, although those cycles are really in their respective infancies.

Regardless, ‘Cuse recruiting is back. In full force. It’s exhilarating.