Syracuse Basketball: Blue-bloods will prove tough to beat for 5-star target

In the recruiting battle over 2023 five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher, Syracuse basketball has some positive things presumably working in its favor, as well as some challenges to overcome if it wants to pick up this supremely talented, consensus top-15 player.

On the plus side, the 6-foot-4 Wilcher recently participated in the Orange’s annual Elite Camp, with the ‘Cuse coaching staff offering him a scholarship back in mid-July.

Additionally, Wilcher has said in interviews that he has high interest in Syracuse basketball, which is great, although we all know things can change in a high-school prospect’s recruitment.

Moreover, as we detailed in a recent column, Wilcher is mapping out several visits to college campuses, and he’s eyeing a trip to the Hill, per a recent tweet from college basketball insider Adam Zagoria.

Syracuse basketball faces intense competition for five-star Simeon Wilcher.

Wilcher is heading into his junior campaign at Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, N.J. He has been suiting up on the AAU circuit with the New York City-based NY Renaissance.

Syracuse basketball coaches have been involved on numerous occasions with players from both Roselle Catholic High School and the NY Renaissance. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Orange remains a significant contender in Wilcher’s recruiting process.

But, and there is always a but, he also is getting pursued by an abundance of high-major programs, including blue-blood teams and a bunch of recruiting heavyweights in collegiate hoops.

To date, Wilcher has a ton of offers and interest, reportedly from teams such as North Carolina, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Memphis, Ohio State, Iowa, Kansas, Auburn, Illinois, Duke, Kentucky, Miami and UCLA.

According to media reports from recruiting insiders, coaches from squads including Connecticut, Michigan, Seton Hall, UNC, Pittsburgh, Nebraska, Ohio State, Auburn, Providence and Oklahoma State, among others, have recently traveled to Roselle Catholic to see Wilcher.

Zagoria said via Twitter that Wilcher will take an official visit to the Tar Heels from October 8 to October 10.

According to an article from 247Sports national analyst Dushawn London, Wilcher has visited Nebraska and UConn, in addition to the planned trip to North Carolina. Wilcher is also eyeing visits to Syracuse basketball, Oregon and Maryland, among others.

"When discussing UNC with London, Wilcher said in part, “Growing up you always look at the North Carolinas, Dukes, and Kentuckys as those super crazy schools for basketball. It feels like a dream to actually step foot at those schools knowing that you can potentially go there. I’m just looking forward to seeing how it is, the feel, the vibe and everything.”"

We’ll continue to monitor Wilcher’s recruitment and how big of a role the Orange will play in it. I’m really high on this young man. He’s got tremendous potential on the court, and he also boasts a lot of integrity.