Syracuse Basketball: Top-10 guard would bolster already strong 2022 class

Syracuse basketball boasts a five-member 2022 class that covers all positions, and these high-school prospects, I believe, will possess strong chemistry together in their time on the Hill.

I say that, because some of these recruits have already suited up alongside one another in prep-school or AAU competition. Now, it’s true that the Orange’s 2022 cycle isn’t as highly rated on a national scale as maybe it once was, but whatever. It remains a really, really good class.

And word broke over the weekend that ‘Cuse coaches may not be done in 2022. As first reported by Pro Insight director of scouting Andrew Slater and also SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister, there is mutual interest between the Orange and 2022 four-star guard Judah Mintz.

The 6-foot-3 Mintz, who hails from Washington, D.C., and is a senior at the Mouth of Wilson, Va.-based Oak Hill Academy, de-committed from Pittsburgh last November.

Mintz is reportedly eyeing an official visit to the Hill. However, a potential commitment to the ‘Cuse is far from a guarantee, as Mintz is visiting other schools as well, which we detailed in a piece earlier this week.

Syracuse basketball would get a huge boost if elite guard Judah Mintz committed.

Mintz is deemed a top-10 shooting guard or a top-10 combo guard, depending on the recruiting service you examine. ESPN rates him No. 35 overall in the 2022 class.

If Mintz did happen to pledge to the Orange, he would prove the highest-rated commit for the ‘Cuse in this cycle. At present, that distinction belongs to four-star small forward Chris Bunch, who is No. 55 nationally, according to 247Sports.

The Syracuse basketball 2022 class, by the way, features Bunch, four-star shooting guard Justin Taylor, four-star point guard Quadir Copeland, three-star power forward Maliq Brown and three-star power forward/center Peter Carey.

To reiterate, this is pure speculation, but if Mintz picked the Orange, it would obviously lead the team’s 2022 class rankings to climb. But would a possible commitment by Mintz cause any of the current ‘Cuse 2022 signees to rethink their commitments?

I hope not. And if Mintz did sign with Syracuse basketball, that commitment would have to be taken into context within the entire Orange roster heading into the next season.

It’s not just about him and the other 2022 commits. What other existing members of the 2021-22 ‘Cuse line-up may elect to come back, may move on, may hit the transfer portal, etc.? Are Syracuse basketball coaches going to bring in other players via the portal this off-season? We’ll have to wait and see on that.

But if we’re solely talking about Mintz and the ‘Cuse 2022 commits, as far as I can tell, Mintz can play both point guard and shooting guard.

My understanding is that Copeland is primarily a point guard. Taylor, I believe, can suit up at shooting guard and small forward. Bunch is a small forward, although in the Syracuse basketball zone defense, there really isn’t much distinction between small forward and power forward. Brown and Carey, additionally, are big men.

So it would seem that there is some positional overlap among Mintz, Copeland and Taylor, but from what I’ve seen of Mintz this season, and also based on what I’ve read about him, I don’t get the sense that a potential Mintz commitment to the Orange would necessarily cause other 2022 signees to back off their pledges.

Rather, I believe that the skill-sets of Mintz and the 2022 guards who have committed to the ‘Cuse actually would complement one another and further strengthen the team’s class in this recruiting cycle.

Of course, Mintz would have to commit to Syracuse basketball. Otherwise, all of this is moot. But it’s an interesting subject to ponder.