Syracuse Basketball: Orange 5-star targets dominate Northeast rankings

The Hoop Hustle recently released its big-board rankings of the top-30 prospects in the Northeast region among players in the 2022 and 2023 recruiting cycles, and its top 10 is filled with Syracuse basketball four-star and five-star targets.

One important thing to note here regarding these ratings is that those who are included have “established their prospect reputation in the Northeast and either play their AAU or prep ball with a Northeast program,” according to the Hoop Hustle, which is a recruiting Web site.

In the Hoop Hustle’s top 10, I’m counting six high-school prospects who have received scholarship offers from the Orange, although ‘Cuse coaches may be recruiting some of these guys harder than others.

Let’s start with D.J. Wagner, who checks in at No. 3. The 6-foot-3 Wagner is a 2023 five-star point guard whom many recruiting services deem the No. 1 overall prospect in his class.

A junior at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., Wagner landed an offer from the Orange in August at the team’s annual Elite Camp. For the time being, Kentucky is getting a lot of buzz for Wagner among recruiting insiders.

Other Syracuse basketball prospects are featured in a regional ranking.

At No. 5 is 2023 five-star player Matas Buzelis, who is a junior at the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H. The 6-foot-10 Buzelis, who can suit up at both guard positions and on the wing, received a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse last November.

Buzelis, now a top-10 prospect in his cycle per some recruiting services, has a flood of offers and interest, including from all the blue-blood programs and many other recruiting heavyweights.

Simeon Wilcher, a 2023 five-star combo guard, is No. 7. He is a junior at Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, N.J. Syracuse basketball coaches offered Wilcher in mid-July, and he has said that he has high interest in the Orange.

Wilcher, who has offers and interest from a bevy of big-time teams, just took an official visit to North Carolina. He has said that he would like to visit the Hill at some point.

Central New York native J.J. Starling arrives at No. 8. The 2022 four-star combo guard, a senior at the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., has Syracuse basketball among his five finalists, along with Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Stanford.

The 6-foot-4 Starling, a consensus top-40 prospect in his class, is expected to make his collegiate destination known in the near future, according to media reports.

Justin Edwards, a 2023 five-star small forward who picked up an offer from the ‘Cuse over the summer, is No. 9. The 6-foot-7 Edwards is a junior at the Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia.

Edwards is ranked as high as No. 8 nationally, according to Rivals.com, and he has a ton of high-major suitors. Based on some recent media reports, it appears that Connecticut and Kentucky have strong buzz with Edwards at present.

At No. 10 is 2022 five-star combo guard Zion Cruz, who holds a Syracuse basketball offer and recently reopened his recruitment back up.

The 6-foot-5 Cruz for his senior year will reportedly transfer from The Patrick School in Hillside, N.J., to the newly formed Donda Academy in Simi Valley, Calif. He is deemed a top-20 player across the country in his cycle, according to some recruiting Web sites.

Auburn had been the perceived leader for Cruz for a while, but now Memphis is getting solid buzz for him, per some national analysts and recruiting insiders.