Syracuse Basketball: 5-star target had high SU interest, opts for blue-blood

Syracuse basketball has scholarship offers doled out to a wide range of elite prospects in the 2023 class, and the Orange has the potential to haul in a stellar group of players in this cycle.

One of those top-flight 2023 prospects, however, has already announced his verbal commitment. And it’s to another Atlantic Coast Conference group, rather than the ‘Cuse or the many other teams that were pursuing him.

Five-star combo guard Simeon Wilcher, a consensus top-20 prospect in the 2023 class, recently said via Twitter that he has verbally committed to blue-blood squad and fellow ACC foe North Carolina.

https://twitter.com/SimeonWilcher/status/1449182814398828548

This is a bummer for the Orange, as I really thought that the ‘Cuse had a solid chance of ultimately winning the recruiting battle over the 6-foot-4 Wilcher, who is a junior at Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, N.J., and suits up on the grassroots basketball circuit for the New York City-based NY Renaissance, which is one of the best AAU teams nationwide.

Syracuse basketball has missed out on five-star Simeon Wilcher.

Wilcher has elected to join a UNC squad that is embarking on a new era under head coach Hubert Davis. Earlier this year, Davis was named as the replacement for the legendary Roy Williams, who retired after the 2020-21 season having captured three NCAA titles in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Orange coaches offered Wilcher in mid-July, and he participated in the team’s annual Elite Camp in August. He had said in at least one recent interview that he had high interest in Syracuse basketball.

What’s more, multiple recent media reports said that Wilcher was eyeing an official visit to the Hill, which got me excited about the Orange’s chances with him.

However, Wilcher took an official visit to North Carolina from October 8 to October 10, per college basketball insider Adam Zagoria. I then saw at least one prediction from a recruiting insider in the direction of the Tar Heels as it pertained to Wilcher’s recruitment.

He said via Twitter on October 15 that he was committing to UNC. I’m happy for Wilcher. He’s an exceptional talent on the court, and he has a ton of high character.

Even though Wilcher only recently began his junior year, he already held offers and interest from a bevy of big-time programs, such as North Carolina, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Memphis, Ohio State, Iowa, Kansas, Auburn, Illinois, Duke, Kentucky, Miami and UCLA, according to media reports and recruiting services.

I had opined recently that the blue-blood squads would prove tough to beat in Wilcher’s recruiting process. Hey, for once, I was right.