Syracuse basketball target, a top-5 center, dishes on teams in most contact

Last month, Syracuse basketball got into the recruiting mix for 2023 four-star prospect Isaiah Miranda, who is one of the nation’s best big men in this cycle.

The 7-foot-1 Miranda, who reportedly can suit up at either power forward or center, is seeing his recruitment greatly expand and his national rankings climb as he has performed at a high level on the grassroots basketball circuit and for his prep school in Massachusetts.

A consensus four-star, top-45 player in the 2023 class, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Miranda makes a serious run for five-star status. Numerous national analysts and scouts are praising his diverse skill-set, which we noted in a recent column.

Miranda attends the Springfield Commonwealth Academy in Springfield, Mass. In AAU competitions, he competes for the Rhode Island Elite.

Syracuse basketball faces a huge challenge in trying to land four-star Isaiah Miranda.

According to media reports and recruiting services, Miranda was recently on an official visit to Kentucky. Not too long ago, he also picked up a scholarship offer from LSU, according to college basketball insider Adam Zagoria.

His offer list is extensive and growing. College squads that have offered Miranda include USC, Memphis, Maryland, Mike Hopkins-led Washington, Connecticut, Virginia Tech, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, VCU and Rhode lsland.

Rated as a top-five center in the 2023 cycle, according to many recruiting Web sites, Miranda said in a recent interview with Rivals.com national analyst Jamie Shaw that he hears the most from former Big East Conference adversary Connecticut.

Besides Kentucky, Miranda says that he has made visits to UCLA, USC, Providence, UConn and St. John’s. Other recruiting heavyweights that are in communication with Miranda include Kansas, Memphis and Oregon, he says.

To date, I haven’t seen any predictions from national analysts or recruiting insiders as to a potential collegiate destination for Miranda, although clearly he has a long list of impressive suitors.

It will likely prove tough for the Orange to win out over blue-bloods like Kentucky and Kansas, among others. And my sense is that UConn will be a significant contender for him.

In his interview with Shaw, Miranda noted that Connecticut coaches are pitching him on playing alongside Donovan Clingan, a 2022 four-star center who was a Syracuse basketball recruiting target before he selected the Huskies.