Syracuse Basketball: 5-star targets to battle it out at elite showcase events

Multiple Syracuse basketball four-star and five-star targets are expected to participate in a pair of top-flight events later on this year, according to separate reports from Samad Hines on theseasonticket.com.

One of those events is the 4th-annual Battle at the Rock, which will take place from December 2 to December 4 in Rock Hill, S.C. The second event is the 2021 Holiday Hoopsgiving, which will occur on November 26 and 27 in Atlanta.

At the 2021 Battle at the Rock, among the teams expected to compete is Ridge View High School in Columbia, S.C., which some pundits believe will amount to one of the top-25 public high schools around the country in the 2021-22 campaign.

One of the star players for Ridge View High School is G.G. Jackson, a 2023 five-star power forward. The 6-foot-8 Jackson received a scholarship offer from the Orange coaching staff more than a year ago, and it was his first college offer.

When Rivals.com recently updated its national rankings for the 2023 cycle, Jackson moved up 10 spots to No. 10 overall. Ever since college coaches could begin communicating directly with 2023 prospects in mid-June, Jackson’s recruitment has blown up.

He holds a wide range of offers from high-major squads, including Kansas, Virginia, Florida State, Duke, North Carolina, Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, N.C. State, Maryland, Georgetown, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh and Boston College.

Let’s take a look at some Syracuse basketball recruits at another showcase.

High-school teams anticipated to play in the 2021 Holiday Hoopsgiving include the Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, the Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto, Ontario, and The Patrick School in Hillside, N.J.

Chris Bunch, a 2022 four-star wing and high-priority target for the ‘Cuse in this class, recently said that he would transfer from De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif., to the Wasatch Academy, which is one of the best prep-school groups nationwide.

The Crestwood Preparatory College roster features 2023 five-star wing Elijah Fisher, who is a top-five prospect in this cycle, according to some recruiting services. The Orange offered him in the summer of 2020.

Zion Cruz, a 2022 five-star combo guard, suits up for The Patrick School. He landed an offer from Syracuse basketball more than two years ago, although other college teams are getting the buzz for Cruz.