Syracuse Basketball: GEICO Nationals field coming, targets will get invites

The eight-team field for the 2022 GEICO Nationals is expected to get announced in a few days, and multiple Syracuse basketball recruiting targets suit up on squads that are likely to earn an invite to this prestigious event, according to a media report.

By the way, this year’s GEICO Nationals will take place from March 31 through April 2 at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., with the winner deemed the high-school national champion for the 2021-22 campaign.

I believe that the squads under consideration for this tournament are those which are independent basketball academies and prep schools that play national schedules, as opposed to highly ranked groups that compete for state-affiliated titles around the country.

Per a recent article from MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens, among those teams that he anticipates will suit up in the GEICO Nationals are the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., and the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz.

Let’s see which Syracuse basketball recruiting targets play for these powerhouse programs.

According to Divens’ piece, these four schools are all placed in the top-10 overall of the MaxPreps national rankings for the best 20 independent basketball academies and prep squads around the country.

The Montverde Academy is No. 4 nationally, the La Lumiere School is No. 5, the AZ Compass Prep School is No. 6 and the Oak Hill Academy is No. 7.

Let’s start with the Oak Hill Academy, which is led by legendary head coach Steve Smith. One of the premier coaches in the history of high-school hoops, Smith is retiring after the current stanza.

A stand-out on the Oak Hill Academy roster is 2022 four-star guard Judah Mintz, who recently took an official visit to the Hill. The Orange is one of several college teams in the mix for Mintz.

The loaded Montverde Academy line-up includes 2022 five-star guard Skyy Clark, 2023 five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. and 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen.

Evans and Queen, who both hail from Baltimore, received ‘Cuse scholarship offers last October. Syracuse basketball coaches have reportedly reached out to Clark, who recently de-committed from Kentucky.

Leading the way at the La Lumiere School are 2023 four-star point guard Aden Holloway and 2022 four-star combo guard J.J. Starling, a Central New York native.

Holloway landed an offer from the Orange in the summer of 2019, according to recruiting services. Starling, who is having an All-American senior term, had the ‘Cuse in his top five before picking Notre Dame.

Finally, I want to congratulate former Syracuse basketball recruiting prospect Chance Westry on his terrific senior stanza. Westry, a 2022 four-star guard who attends the AZ Compass Prep School, had the Orange in his top 10 but ended up committing to Auburn.