Syracuse basketball 5-star targets, top-2 overall in their classes, to battle

Two of the best high-school teams around the country, each with Syracuse basketball recruiting connections, are slated to collide in an epic showdown early next year.

According to a recent tweet from analyst and recruiting insider Samad Hines, on January 13, 2022, the powerhouse Camden High School in Camden, N.J., is scheduled to take on the juggernaut Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.

As we noted in a recent column, Hines’ top-25 national rankings of the best public high-school squads around the country have Camden High School in the No. 1 spot.

Additionally, the Montverde Academy in recent years has arguably proven the premier prep-school squad nationwide, and the Montverde Academy is expected to be rated No. 1 in pre-season polls that include both prep schools and public high schools ahead of the 2021-22 term.

Multiple Syracuse basketball five-star prospects will clash this January.

The Camden High School roster is led by 2023 five-star point guard D.J. Wagner, who picked up a ‘Cuse offer during the team’s annual Elite Camp in August.

The loaded Montverde Academy line-up includes two prospects from Baltimore who recently landed Orange offers. They are 2023 five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. and 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen.

All three of these Syracuse basketball recruiting targets are in the top-five overall of their respective cycles, and all three of them will significantly contend for the No. 1 overall ranking in their class. This should prove a fun game!

At present, the 6-foot-3 Wagner is rated the No. 1 junior. His other offers include from blue-blood team Kentucky, Memphis, Villanova and Temple. College squads that reportedly have interest in Wagner are Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, Arkansas and Penn State, among others.

The 6-foot-9 Evans is No. 2 nationally within the 2023 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. He holds more than 20 offers, from groups such as Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Memphis, Texas, Southern California, Florida, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Kansas, LSU, Maryland, Tennessee, Texas A&M, St. John’s, Georgetown, Virginia Tech and Auburn.

The 6-foot-8 Queen, whose exquisite mid-range game has been likened to ‘Cuse legend Carmelo Anthony, is No. 2 across the country in the 2024 cycle, per ESPN.

As we’ve discussed in various recent pieces on Queen, his other offers include from Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Auburn, DePaul, Maryland, Texas, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, LSU and Arizona State.