Syracuse basketball 5-star target, the No. 1 junior, ‘still open to everyone’

Based on media reports and comments from recruiting insiders in recent months, Syracuse basketball is likely a long shot to land 2023 five-star point guard D.J. Wagner, who is rated the No. 1 prospect in his class by the bevy of recruiting services.

However, don’t count the Orange out just yet. According to a recent piece from recruiting guru Joe Tipton of on3.com, the 6-foot-3 Wagner was quoted as saying, “I’m still open to all opportunities. I’m still open to everyone.”

Now, does this mean the ‘Cuse is going to secure the services of Wagner, a stand-out junior who attends Camden High School in Camden, N.J.?

Probably not, given the elite competition that the Orange faces. That being said, I credit Syracuse basketball coaches for making a run at Wagner, despite the potentially steep climb for the ‘Cuse to win out in this recruiting battle.

Syracuse basketball got into the mix for five-star D.J. Wagner last summer.

Orange coaches offered a scholarship to Wagner this past August at the team’s annual Elite Camp. Once that offer was doled out, a lot of ‘Cuse fans chimed in on social media and in chat rooms that Syracuse basketball had little to no shot at getting Wagner.

That may hold true. We’ll have to wait and see how his recruitment pans out. Based on reports and recruiting services, it looks like Wagner presently holds five offers, from the Orange, Kentucky, Memphis, Villanova and Temple.

For quite some time, multiple national analysts have logged predictions for Wagner in the direction of Kentucky on the 247Sports Web site and Rivals.com.

That certainly makes sense, given that his father suited up for Kentucky head coach John Calipari at Memphis for one season before going pro.

Wagner, as we noted in a recent column, is a contender for the 2022 Naismith High School Trophy, which will honor the best high-school player during the 2021-22 term.

His team, Camden High School, is one of the premier public high-school groups nationwide, and it has competed against a variety of top-flight competition so far in 2021-22.

I really admire and respect Wagner. As the son of a former NBA player, I’m sure he has a ton of pressure coming his way. Add in that Wagner is the No. 1 junior across the country, and that’s a lot for a young person to deal with, but he’s said in interviews that he’s taking it all in stride and playing the game that he loves.

My gut tells me that Syracuse basketball won’t prevail for Wagner, but I’m rooting for him wherever he ends up. Hopefully, it’s on the Hill.