Syracuse basketball commits don’t make cut for big All-American game

Syracuse basketball will not have a 2022 commit playing in this spring’s McDonald’s All-American Game.

The 24-player roster has been revealed, and while Orange signees weren’t included, two 2022 prospects who had ‘Cuse scholarship offers did make the cut.

They are four-star guard J.J. Starling and five-star power forward Jarace Walker. Starling, a Central New York native, had the Orange among his five finalists before picking fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad Notre Dame.

Walker held an offer from Syracuse basketball, although my sense is that the ‘Cuse wasn’t a major player throughout his recruitment. Walker is committed to Houston.

Syracuse basketball 2022 commits are shut out for a prestigious event.

The 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game, which is back after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will take place on March 29 in Chicago. Per an article from MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens, this year’s game will get televised beginning at 9 pm on ESPN.

As we noted in a recent column, hundreds of high-school boys’ and girls’ players were nominated for the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game, including Orange 2022 commits Chris Bunch and Maliq Brown.

It’s no surprise that neither Bunch, a four-star small forward, nor Brown, a three-star power forward, were invited to the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game, although both have put up some strong performances during the current campaign.

Bunch, a senior at the Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, is the highest-rated recruit for Syracuse basketball in this cycle, while Brown is a senior at the Blue Ridge School in St. George, Va.

The other three commits for the ‘Cuse in 2022 are four-star shooting guard Justin Taylor, four-star point guard Quadir Copeland and three-star power forward/center Peter Carey.

Taylor, who has surprisingly dropped quite a bit in some new recruiting rankings, and Copeland were not eligible for the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game.

That’s because they both suit up for the post-grad team at the juggernaut IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Carey most recently attended the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon, Mass., and he has been recovering from a knee injury, according to a recent article by Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.