Syracuse Basketball: 4-star, 5-star recruits teaming up at elite prep schools

The upcoming high-school hoops season should prove an interesting one for Syracuse basketball and its fan base, as multiple top-flight prep schools will feature rosters with a variety of Orange connections.

By my count, at least six high-school squads around the country will include pairs of ‘Cuse commits, targets or former prospects. A few recent transfers have helped to fuel this development.

Let’s start at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which is annually one of the best prep schools nationwide.

Two Syracuse basketball 2022 four-star commits will play for the IMG Academy post-grad unit during their senior seasons. They are point guard Quadir Copeland, who recently committed to the Orange, as well as wing Justin Taylor, who gave a verbal pledge to the ‘Cuse in late June.

Over at Hillcrest Prep in Gilbert, Ariz., that team recently said via Twitter that former Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Kamari Lands, a four-star wing, has come on board.

Lands is transferring there from Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif. Also on the Hillcrest Prep roster is Orange 2022 four-star target Chance Westry, a combo guard who has the ‘Cuse among his top-10 finalists.

Syracuse basketball commits and targets are banding together at prep powers.

As we noted in a recent column, 2022 four-star prospect Chris Bunch is moving from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., to the Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah.

At Bunch’s new home, the four-star wing will suit up alongside 2022 four-star shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who had the Orange in his final six before picking Ohio State last November.

The powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., features 2022 four-star forward Yann Farrell and 2023 four-star prospect Matas Buzelis, who can reportedly suit up at point guard, shooting guard and forward. Both are ‘Cuse targets.

A couple of months ago, we detailed that 2023 four-star target Aden Holloway, a top-notch point guard, was transferring from the Covenant Day School in Matthews, N.C., to the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.

The La Lumiere School line-up also includes Central New York native and 2022 four-star combo guard J.J. Starling, who is a major target for Syracuse basketball in this cycle.

Finally, the Orange coaching staff has reportedly shown interest in 2023 teammates at Camden High School in Camden, N.J. They are five-star point guard D.J. Wagner, the No. 1 player in this class, and four-star center Aaron Bradshaw.

By the way, some of these high-school players will be a part of the recently formed National Interscholastic Basketball Conference, a super league that is expected to commence operations in the 2021-22 campaign.

Among the prep squads participating in this conference are the La Lumiere School, the Wasatch Academy and the IMG Academy.