Syracuse Basketball: Analyst details big upside of new 4-star center targets

A pair of Syracuse basketball recruiting targets recently entered the national rankings when Rivals.com updated its ratings for their respective cycles.

Now a national analyst with that recruiting service is providing some additional details about how these two Orange prospects could climb the national rankings even further down the line.

The ‘Cuse targets under discussion here are 2023 four-star center Ugonna Kingsley and 2024 four-star center Yves Missi. The 7-foot Kingsley, a junior at the Putnam Science Academy in Putnam, Conn., received a scholarship offer from the Orange coaching staff earlier this month, according to college basketball insider Adam Zagoria.

The 6-foot-11 Missi, meanwhile, picked up a Syracuse basketball offer in mid-December. He is a sophomore at the West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md.

Two Syracuse basketball targets have “tremendous upside,” an expert says.

When Rivals.com refreshed its 2023 and 2024 national rankings not too long ago, Kingsley entered the ratings at No. 87, while Missi soared all the way into the rankings for his cycle at No. 39.

However, in a recent article by Rivals.com basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy, he said that Kingsley and Missi could see their stock climb even further because of the upside that each high-school player possesses.

Cassidy notes Kingsley’s shot-blocking prowess and says “things are coming along” on offense for the Orange recruiting prospect, who will suit up on the grassroots basketball circuit this summer for the Queens, N.Y.-based New York Jayhawks.

As we’ve discussed, Kingsley’s other offers include from Ole Miss, Georgia, Providence, Georgetown, Texas Tech, Washington State, Clemson, Seton Hall, Iowa and California.

Missi’s scholarship offers to date are from teams such as UCLA, St. John’s, DePaul, Norfolk State and USC Upstate. He will suit up in AAU events this summer for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals.

"Cassidy writes in part that “Missi’s length and motor make him intriguing, as he tends to finish around the basket with hard dunks. He also had a decent face-up game and has shown a reliable hook shot from time to time. He’s not afraid to let fly from deep occasionally, but he’ll need to become more consistent as a shooter from range.”"

The Rivals.com analyst believes that Missi and Kingsley should receive more exposure this summer on the AAU circuit. That undeniably means more offers for each of them, along with heightened competition for Syracuse basketball coaches to prevail in their recruitments.