The eight-team field is set for the upcoming 2022 GEICO Nationals, and Syracuse basketball fans will have the opportunity to watch a handful of elite Orange recruiting targets when this prestigious tournament gets going.
According to an official announcement from ESPN, the eight squads that will compete in the 2022 GEICO Nationals are the Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., the Link Academy in Branson, Mo., the Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., and Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif.
The teams are seeded in the order directly above, with the Sunrise Christian Academy the No. 1 seed and Prolific Prep the No. 8 seed. This season’s GEICO Nationals will take place from March 31 to April 2 at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Ft. Myers, Fla.
The GEICO Nationals, in its 14th year, will crown a high-school national champion, although this event appears to invite independent basketball academies and prep schools that play national schedules, as opposed to highly ranked squads that compete for state-affiliated titles around the country.
Let’s review which Syracuse basketball targets are playing in the GEICO Nationals.
The No. 3 seed Montverde Academy, with a record of 21-4, has a loaded line-up that 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 were each offered by the Orange last October, while Syracuse basketball coaches are reportedly showing interest in Clark, who recently de-committed from Kentucky.
A top priority for the ‘Cuse in the 2022 cycle, four-star guard Judah Mintz, is one of the standouts for the No. 5 seed Oak Hill Academy, which has a record of 33-7. Mintz recently took an official visit to the Hill and is considering the Orange along with DePaul and a few other schools.
Aden Holloway, a 2023 four-star point guard who landed a Syracuse basketball offer in the summer of 2019, according to recruiting services, is one of the stars for the No. 7 seed La Lumiere School, which is 20-4.
Central New York native J.J. Starling, a 2022 four-star combo guard who had the Orange in his top five before choosing Notre Dame, also suits up for the La Lumiere School.
Also, a lot of ‘Cuse fans have been following former Orange recruiting target Chance Westry for several years. The 2022 four-star guard, who is committed to Auburn, plays for the No. 6 seed AZ Compass Prep School, which is 24-4.
Okay, here is how the quarterfinals stack out. On Thursday, March 31, the Oak Hill Academy will face the No. 4 seed Link Academy (32-1) at 12 pm on ESPNU.
At 2 pm, the AZ Compass Prep School will battle the Montverde Academy on ESPNU. At 4 pm, also on ESPNU, it’s the La Lumiere School against the No. 2 seed IMG Academy (22-4). The nightcap, at 6 pm on ESPNU, is the No. 1 seed Sunrise Christian Academy (25-1) versus the No. 8 seed Prolific Prep (25-6).
The semifinals will be at 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm on Friday, April 1, with television coverage on ESPN2. The 2022 GEICO Nationals championship game will be at noon on Saturday, April 2, with ESPN airing this encounter.