Syracuse Basketball: 5-star targets headline watch list for Naismith award

A Syracuse basketball recruiting target could very well end up as the country’s top player this season.

The watch list for the 2022 Naismith High School Trophy, which will honor the top prospect across the country, recently got disclosed.

The list includes multiple Orange five-star targets as well as some former long-time ‘Cuse prospects who opted for other college teams.

Among those vying for the prestigious Naismith award are 2023 five-star point guard D.J. Wagner, 2023 five-star guard/wing Matas Buzelis, 2023 five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr., 2022 four-star guard Chance Westry, 2022 five-star point guard Dior Johnson, 2022 five-star power forward Jarace Walker, 2022 five-star big man Kyle Filipowski, 2022 five-star guard Zion Cruz and 2022 four-star guard J.J. Starling.

Syracuse basketball recruiting prospects are in the running for a top honor.

Wagner, the consensus No. 1 junior, was offered by the Orange at the team’s annual Elite Camp this past August. He stars for Camden High School in Camden, N.J., and these days some analysts view Kentucky and Memphis as possible front-runners for him.

Evans, who hails from Baltimore, is suiting up this stanza for the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla. Evans, the No. 2 player in his class, was offered by the ‘Cuse in October. He has a boatload of high-major suitors and recently picked up a Kentucky offer.

Buzelis, from the juggernaut Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., has skyrocketed in the national rankings of late. Most recruiting services have him in the top-10 overall in his cycle. He landed a ‘Cuse offer about a year ago, and his offer sheet is a who’s who of elite college teams.

Westry was a long-time Orange target who had Syracuse basketball among his top-10 finalists before recently picking Auburn.

Johnson is a former ‘Cuse commit in the 2022 class who reopened his recruitment about a year ago and then ended up choosing Oregon.

Central New York native Starling and Filipowski were priority targets for Syracuse basketball, with both of them visiting the Hill. But they each decided to attend other Atlantic Coast Conference schools, with Starling to Notre Dame and Filipowski to Duke.

Finally, Walker and Cruz received ‘Cuse offers, although I’m not sure that the Orange ever had much of a shot with either. Walker recently pledged to Houston.

Cruz was down to a final three of North Carolina, Creighton and Auburn a few months ago, but then he reopened his recruiting process. Memphis is viewed by some insiders as the present favorite to land him.