Syracuse Basketball: 2024 prospect falls from No. 1 spot in one ranking

Syracuse basketball, according to various media reports and recruiting services, has shown interest in 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen, an elite prospect in this class who hails from Baltimore.

The 6-foot-8 Queen, per national analysts and recruiting insiders, will significantly contend for the No. 1 overall ranking in the 2024 cycle. In fact, he had held that position in ESPN’s rankings of the top-25 players nationwide in this class for a sizable period of time.

However, ESPN recently updated its national rankings for the 2024 cycle, and Queen is no longer No. 1 nationally. That being said, let’s be fair here.

Queen is now No. 2 overall, according to ESPN. Not a big deal. He’s also the No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 high-school prospect in Maryland, per ESPN.

In case you’re wondering, the new No. 1 player in the 2024 class, according to ESPN, is five-star small forward Naasir Cunningham, who attends the Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, N.J.

Syracuse basketball has displayed interest in five-star forward Derik Queen.

As a freshman, Queen put forth a brilliant campaign, and he won all kinds of national honors while suiting up for the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore.

However, for his sophomore year, Queen has elected to transfer to the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.

The Montverde Academy is considered by many national experts as the top prep-school program around the country, and it will likely be ranked No. 1 overall in pre-season polls ahead of the 2021-22 term.

Per recruiting Web sites, Queen has scholarship offers from teams including Texas, Auburn, Georgetown, Maryland, LSU, Arizona State, Virginia Tech and DePaul.

His bio on the 247Sports Web site says that he has interest from the Orange, Florida State and Pittsburgh as well. Louisville is also reportedly showing interest in Queen, who has drawn comparisons to ‘Cuse legend Carmelo Anthony for his stellar mid-range game.

Since Queen is only about to enter his sophomore stanza, his recruiting process likely has a long way to go. Many more offers, I’m sure, will arrive for him, including blue-blood programs and other recruiting heavyweights.

Syracuse basketball recently made its first offer to a 2024 prospect, 6-foot-9 wing Donnie Freeman from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Freeman, who attends St. John’s College High School in the District of Columbia, recently soared into the ESPN national rankings for the 2024 class. The recruiting service rates him as four stars and No. 20 overall.