A new Syracuse basketball four-star recruiting target in the 2022 class is set to face off against an Orange four-star commit in the same cycle.
On Friday, Feb. 4, beginning at 5 pm, the Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, will suit up against the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., at the 2022 Metro Classic from the RWJBarnabas Health Arena in Toms River, N.J.
Chris Bunch, a 2022 four-star small forward, plays for the Wasatch Academy. At present, he is the highest-rated recruit for the ‘Cuse in its five-member 2022 class, with 247Sports placing him at No. 55 overall and No. 16 at small forward.
One of the stand-outs for the Oak Hill Academy is 2022 four-star guard Judah Mintz, who de-committed from Pittsburgh last November.
Mintz, a top-10 guard in his cycle who is ranked No. 35 across the country by ESPN, has interest in Syracuse basketball, and that interest is shared by the Orange coaching staff, according to media reports.
A Syracuse basketball 2022 commit and a target in the same class will go toe to toe.
At the time of this writing, the Wasatch Academy was 12-8 so far in the 2021-22 campaign and ranked No. 11 nationally in a top-20 poll from MaxPreps. The Oak Hill Academy, meanwhile, was 23-7 and No. 8 in the same ratings by MaxPreps.
The 2022 Metro Classic is a multi-day event featuring some of the premier public high schools, prep teams and independent basketball academies nationwide. For a listing of the full schedule for this showcase, click here.
There are other match-ups at the 2022 Metro Classic that involve Orange recruiting connections. On Thursday, Feb. 3, at 7 pm, Camden High School in Camden, N.J., will take on the Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, N.J.
The star point guard for Camden High School is 2023 five-star prospect D.J. Wagner, who is the No. 1 player in the junior class. Syracuse basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Wagner last August at the team’s annual Elite Camp.
Also on February 3, at 9 pm, the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., will square off with Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J. The Montverde Academy line-up features two ‘Cuse recruiting targets who both landed Orange offers this past October. They are 2023 five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. and 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen.
Leading the charge for Bergen Catholic High School is 2024 five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau. He picked up a Syracuse basketball offer last November. ESPN rates Cadeau as the No. 1 point guard in his class.
On February 4, at 9 pm, the Montverde Academy will compete against the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind. The La Lumiere School is led by Central New York native J.J. Starling, a 2022 four-star guard who has committed to Notre Dame, and 2023 four-star point guard Aden Holloway, who reportedly obtained a ‘Cuse offer in the summer of 2019.