Syracuse basketball, in top 3, looks really strong with top 2022 4-star target

Come this Halloween, hopefully, Syracuse basketball fans will get a treat from one of the team’s top remaining targets in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Chris Bunch, a four-star wing who is ranked in the top-60 overall according to 247Sports, plans to announce his collegiate destination on October 31, according to an article from national analyst Joe Tipton of on3.com.

The 6-foot-7 Bunch, who is from the west coast, said on Instagram that his three finalists are the Orange, Mike Hopkins-led Washington and Rutgers.

While I haven’t seen any official predictions from national analysts or recruiting insiders to date on Rivals.com or 247Sports, the word on social media and in chat rooms is that the ‘Cuse is in a great position with Bunch.

Syracuse basketball will soon know whether it has landed four-star Chris Bunch.

Although the Orange has solid buzz with Bunch, at least according to Internet chatter, this doesn’t mean he’s going to definitely pick the ‘Cuse.

However, if I had to wager a guess, I’d say that I think Bunch will select Syracuse basketball when he announces on Halloween. A consensus top-100 prospect across the country in the 2022 class, Bunch is a senior at the powerhouse Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah.

When Bunch revealed his top three on Instagram, guys like ‘Cuse senior shooting guard Buddy Boeheim and new 2022 big-man commit Peter Carey chimed in with their support.

Bunch took two official visits to the Hill, as compared to one visit each to Rutgers and Washington. That could be viewed as an encouraging sign for the Orange.

I wrote in a recent column that Mike Hopkins & Co. at Washington could be the biggest threat to Syracuse basketball in the recruiting sweepstakes over Bunch.

Yes, the Huskies had an awful 2020-21 season. But Hopkins has won two Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year awards since leaving Central New York for Washington, and he’s a tremendous recruiter.

Plus, Bunch is from the west coast, so I could see him giving the Huskies a hard look.

As for Rutgers, the Scarlet Knights are a program on the rise in the rugged Big Ten Conference. Rutgers hosted the ‘Cuse in last year’s ACC-Big Ten Challenge and took care of the Orange, 79-69.

Do I think that Syracuse basketball is a more successful team and bigger brand in college hoops than Rutgers and Washington? Absolutely. The ‘Cuse also has a Hall of Fame head coach in Jim Boeheim.

Hopefully, all of the positives that the Orange has working in its favor will lead Bunch to give a verbal commitment to Syracuse basketball in just a few short weeks.