Syracuse Basketball: 5-star target electric against nation’s No. 1 prep team

Multiple Syracuse basketball five-star targets recently went toe to toe at an event in South Carolina, and one of those Orange prospects put forth an absolutely phenomenal performance, according to a national recruiting analyst.

A variety of stellar squads recently came together at the Made Hoops Southeast Preview in Rock Hill, S.C., with the featured team being the powerhouse Montverde Academy out of Montverde, Fla.

Two five-star players who both hail from Baltimore and hold ‘Cuse scholarship offers suit up for the Montverde Academy. They are 2023 five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. and 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen.

The 6-foot-9 Evans is No. 2 across the country within the 2023 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-8 Queen, meanwhile, is No. 2 overall within his cycle, per ESPN. Only in recent weeks did Orange coaches offer Queen and Evans.

Syracuse basketball five-star prospects competed versus each other at a recent event.

According to Rivals.com national analyst Jamie Shaw, Orange 2023 five-star target G.G. Jackson and his teammates went up against the Montverde Academy during one game at the Made Hoops Southeast Preview.

Jackson, throughout the contest, was guarded by Evans and other elite Montverde Academy players. Per Shaw, Jackson finished with 27 points and seven rebounds, while connecting on 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc.

"The Rivals.com national analyst wrote in part about Jackson, “The 6-foot-9 junior showcased his ability to create off the bounce, finish at the rim, and even stepped into a couple of jumpers.”"

That’s mighty impressive stuff from Jackson, a top-flight power forward who attends Ridge View High School in Columbia, S.C. In recent seasons, the Montverde Academy has proven the country’s best prep-school squad, and it is likely to enter the upcoming campaign as the pre-season No. 1 team nationwide in at least some major polls.

National analysts and recruiting insiders are suggesting that fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member and blue-blood program North Carolina is receiving a lot of buzz as it relates to Jackson’s recruitment.

He landed an offer from Syracuse basketball in August of 2020, and that was Jackson’s first scholarship offer from a college team. Multiple recruiting services now have Jackson among their top-10 prospects overall within the 2023 class.

In a separate recent piece, Rivals.com basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy said that Jackson, who has a flood of high-major offers, could ultimately contend for the No. 1 national ranking in 2023.