Syracuse Basketball: 4-star big-man target vaults into top 25 of new ratings

In August, Syracuse basketball made its first scholarship offer to a prospect within the 2024 cycle, and this high-school player from the Washington, D.C., area is seeing his stock soar.

Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9 power forward who landed his Orange offer at the team’s annual Elite Camp, is a consensus four-star prospect in the 2024 class, according to recruiting services that have published ratings for this cycle.

Just a few days ago, Rivals.com published its first set of 2024 rankings, and Freeman checks in at No. 23 across the country.

Additionally, when ESPN posted its 2024 ratings in recent months, Freeman was No. 20 overall, as well as the No. 5 power forward and the No. 1 prospect in the District of Columbia.

Syracuse basketball four-star target Donnie Freeman is making moves in national rankings.

Freeman is a sophomore at St. John’s College High School in D.C. Although his recruiting process likely has a way to go, he already has a handful of high-major offers.

Per Freeman’s Twitter page, recruiting services and media reports, his other offers include from George Mason, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Maryland, Old Dominion and long-time Big East Conference rival Georgetown.

I’ve also seen reports and comments from recruiting insiders that speak to Freeman holding interest from teams such as Villanova, Connecticut, Rutgers, Marquette, Louisville, Wake Forest and Seton Hall.

According to his Twitter account, Freeman has taken an unofficial visit to Maryland. While he obviously visited the Hill for the Orange’s Elite Camp back in August, I’d love to see Freeman take an official visit to Syracuse basketball down the road.

The ‘Cuse coaching staff is beginning to pick up steam with its 2024 recruiting efforts. Besides Freeman, the Orange has also offered five-star power forward Derik Queen, a native of Baltimore who is a sophomore at the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.

The 6-foot-8 Queen is rated in the top-five overall of the 2024 cycle, according to multiple recruiting Web sites. His other offers are from squads like Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Auburn, DePaul, Maryland, Texas, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, LSU and Arizona State.

As we’ve also noted in recent pieces on other 2024 players, Syracuse basketball is reportedly showing interest in 6-foot-2 point guard Curtis Givens III from the Memphis University School in Memphis, Tenn., as well as 6-foot-10 big man Caleb Middleton, who goes to the New Hampton School in New Hampton, N.H.