Syracuse Basketball: 4-star target off to pro ranks, and expect more of this

Syracuse basketball offered a scholarship to 2022 four-star big man Dominick Barlow about a month ago, and he’s proven one of the hottest prospects in recent months based on his tremendous play over the summer on the AAU circuit.

The 6-foot-9 forward, who recently entered the top-80 overall according to two of the primary recruiting services, has seen his offer list grow by leaps and bounds of late, fueling more competition for the Orange in this recruiting battle.

However, neither Syracuse basketball nor any other college team out there likely is going to pick up Barlow. That’s because, according to several media reports, he is signing on with the recently formed Overtime Elite professional league.

ESPN scout/recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein tweeted out that Barlow plans to sign a reported two-year deal with Overtime Elite.

We recently penned a column noting that another Orange recruiting prospect, 2023 five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher, had turned down a lucrative offer from Overtime Elite to remain at Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, N.J.

Syracuse basketball four-star target Dominick Barlow is opting for a pro deal.

With name, image and likeness opportunities available to college student-athletes, that should keep some top-flight high-school prospects from moving straight to the professional level.

However, big-money deals being offered by pro leagues such as Overtime Elite, the NBA’s G League and the Melbourne, Australia-based National Basketball League will prove too massive for some high-school players to pass up, and that’s totally understandable.

Just as another example, 2022 five-star power forward Jarace Walker, who holds a Syracuse basketball offer, recently disclosed his top-seven finalists, and they include the G League.

As pertains to Barlow, I’m wishing him all the best, and I’m sure he will shine with Overtime Elite. I’m bummed, too, because I was hopeful that the Orange would emerge as a significant contender for him.

Barlow isn’t the first high-priority target to pass on the ‘Cuse and other college groups in favor of the pros, and he certainly won’t be the last. It’s simply the world that we live in these days, my friends.

This coming season, Barlow was set to play for the Bridgton Academy in Bridgton, Maine. He has been a member of the New York City-based NY Renaissance on the grassroots basketball circuit and proved a star at the recently held 2021 Peach Jam tournament in North Augusta, S.C.

Both Rivals.com and ESPN recently updated their 2022 player rankings, and Barlow soared into both lists of ratings. Rivals.com had him at No. 61 overall, whereas ESPN placed Barlow at No. 80.

Besides Syracuse basketball, he held offers from groups such as Kansas, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa, St. John’s, Florida, South Carolina, Iona, Pittsburgh, Southern California, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Providence, Nebraska, DePaul, Xavier and Western Kentucky.