Syracuse basketball interest in top-ranked sophomore, an ‘immense talent’

All kinds of Syracuse basketball prospects are currently suiting up at the 2021 Peach Jam tournament in North Augusta, S.C.

One of those high-school players is elite talent D.J. Wagner, a five-star point guard in the 2023 class. We recently detailed in a column how the Orange coaching staff has reached out to the 6-foot-3 Wagner, according to an article by 247Sports national analyst Dushawn London.

Wagner is a sophomore at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., and he runs on the AAU circuit with Millburn, N.J.-based New Jersey Scholars Elite Basketball Club.

In one recent game at the Peach Jam, Wagner exploded for 25 points and seven assists, according to statistics provided by basketball.exposureevents.com.

Wagner was 3-of-6 from downtown and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Unfortunately, the New Jersey Scholars Elite Basketball Club fell in a tight one, 71-68, to the Dallas-based Drive Nation.

Syracuse basketball has inquired about the country’s top-ranked sophomore.

Wagner is presently the No. 1 overall prospect within the 2023 cycle, according to all of the primary recruiting services. By extension, he’s also the No. 1 point guard and No. 1 prospect in New Jersey.

Eric Bossi, the national basketball director for 247Sports, wrote in a recent article that the top spot in the 2023 class is Wagner’s “to lose at this point.”

Bossi calls Wagner an “immense talent,” noting that he has a “competitive fire” and strong play-making capabilities, which makes sense given that he’s so highly ranked and also competes at point guard.

According to Wagner’s bio on recruiting Web sites as well as media reports, he holds offers from Villanova and Temple, along with interest from Syracuse basketball, Kentucky, Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, Arkansas and Penn State.

Wagner’s offer list is obviously going to significantly expand, now that college coaches can watch high-school prospects live in person. College coaches are also now able to contact 2023 players directly.

Following his most recent season at Camden High School, Wagner was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey as well as the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year.

We’ll of course continue to monitor any and all involvement that the Orange coaching staff may have with Wagner, who already is garnering a lot of buzz among analysts and other recruiting insiders in the direction of Kentucky.