Syracuse basketball courts nation’s No. 1 junior as recruiting giants pursue

A blue-blood school already has a ton of buzz for 2023 five-star point guard D.J. Wagner, at least according to some recruiting insiders, yet the country’s consensus No. 1 junior continues to go through his recruiting process, with Syracuse basketball and others in pursuit.

Per a recent article from college basketball insider Adam Zagoria, among the schools recruiting Wagner, besides that blue-blood behemoth Kentucky, are the Orange, Villanova, Temple and Auburn.

Another recruiting heavyweight, Memphis, is also in the mix. As Zagoria noted, Wagner recently traveled to Memphis for an official visit.

Additionally, Wagner was slated to take an official visit to Kentucky for the team’s Big Blue Madness on October 15, according to a piece from 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham.

Syracuse basketball finds itself in a recruiting battle over five-star D.J. Wagner.

Just on their own, Kentucky and Memphis present massive challenges for the ‘Cuse to overcome if it somehow, someway hopes to land Wagner, who attends Camden High School in Camden, N.J., and received an offer from the Orange in August at the team’s annual Elite Camp.

Wagner, also the top point guard in the 2023 cycle, is the son of Dajuan Wagner, who suited up for Kentucky head coach John Calipari at Memphis for one season prior to getting selected at No. 6 overall in the first round of the 2002 NBA Draft.

It’s no wonder that Memphis and Kentucky are vying for D.J. Wagner. Multiple national analysts and recruiting insiders have logged predictions in the direction of Kentucky on the 247Sports Web site and Rivals.com.

According to recruiting services and media reports, Wagner has offers from the likes of Memphis, Kentucky, Syracuse basketball, Villanova and Temple, along with interest from others such as Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, Arkansas and Penn State, among others.

Let’s be real. The ‘Cuse probably has a really small chance at getting Wagner, with recruiting aces Calipari and Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway in this recruiting bout.

Since Wagner’s recruitment could stretch on for a bit longer, other big-time teams could get into the fold as well. So Syracuse basketball certainly has an uphill climb here.

That being said, as I always like to say, you can’t pick up a top-flight recruit unless you offer him first, and I credit the Orange coaching staff for taking a shot with Wagner. You never know how this recruiting stuff will pan out.