Syracuse basketball 5-star target, No. 1 junior, impressive off the court, too

After Syracuse basketball recently offered D.J. Wagner, the top-ranked prospect in the 2023 class, a lot of Orange fans chimed in that the ‘Cuse has virtually no chance at landing the five-star point guard.

Yeah, I admit it’s a long shot for the Orange to win out for the 6-foot-3 Wagner, who is already getting tons of projections from national analysts and recruiting insiders in the direction of Kentucky.

But the only way for Syracuse basketball to land these types of elite high-school players is to offer them scholarships first, and then see how their recruiting processes evolve.

I’m excited that the ‘Cuse coaching staff offered Wagner at the Orange’s recently held annual Elite Camp. Not only is Wagner a tremendous talent on the court, but he’s doing good off of the court as well. Let’s have a look.

Syracuse basketball five-star target D.J. Wagner has an admirable character.

Wagner attends Camden High School in Camden, N.J., which has an excellent squad that some experts believe will prove a pre-season top-25 unit ahead of the upcoming term.

Rob Cassidy, the basketball recruiting director for Rivals.com, recently published an article that I’m glad I saw. He noted that Wagner is doing his part to encourage more people in his community to get the vaccine for Covid-19.

Wagner and others recently participated in a new public service announcement, in partnership with Camden County’s board of commissioners, to increase vaccine administration. The PSA is available to watch on YouTube, by the way.

Given the availability of NIL deals for college student-athletes, some analysts believe that could make it more likely that Wagner plays in college for a year, rather than heading straight from high school to the professional ranks.

To that end, regarding the Camden County PSA, Cassidy wrote, “The existence of the commercial also reinforces the fact that the talented and charismatic Wagner could be a marketing juggernaut in college and beyond.”

I have a ton of respect for Wagner being involved in this PSA. I don’t want to get into a debate over the Covid-19 vaccine with my fellow Orange fans. What you choose to do is your business.

Wagner, I’m sure, is a well-known young man in his community. His father is a former NBA player. Wagner is the consensus No. 1 prospect in his class. He has done an admirable thing for Camden County.

That’s the kind of player whom Syracuse basketball fans should want to see in a ‘Cuse uniform. Even if it’s only a long-shot for the Orange to prevail in his recruitment.