Syracuse basketball 5-star target leads team to 1st state title since 2000

Five-star point guard D.J. Wagner, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle who received a Syracuse basketball offer last summer, has led his high-school team to its first state title in New Jersey since 2000, according to media reports.

The 6-foot-3 Wagner tallied 20 points as his squad, Camden High School in Camden, N.J., recently defeated Central High School in Newark, N.J., by a final count of 93-52 to secure the Panthers’ first NJSIAA Group 2 state championship in more than two decades.

Wagner is having a stellar junior term. He was recently named to the Naismith Trophy’s All-America third team for the 2021-22 campaign. ‘Cuse coaches offered Wagner this past August at the Orange’s annual Elite Camp.

Camden High School, one of the top public high-school programs across the country, is now 30-2 overall and has won 24 consecutive contests, according to a tweet from high-school basketball analyst and scout Samad Hines.

In its latest top-25 rankings of squads that compete for state-affiliated titles, MaxPreps placed Camden High School at No. 5 nationwide.

Syracuse basketball faces an uphill climb to prevail for five-star D.J. Wagner.

The 2021-22 stanza for Wagner and Camden High School isn’t over, though. The team will be competing in the final Tournament of Champions event in New Jersey.

According to an article from nj.com, Camden High School is the top seed in the six-squad field. The Panthers are slated to play on Thursday evening at the Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., with its opponent to be determined, per reports.

By the way, another Orange recruiting target will suit up in the Tournament of Champions. The No. 3 seed is Bergen Catholic High School out of Oradell, N.J.

One of the stars for Bergen Catholic High School is 2024 five-star player Elliot Cadeau, who picked up a ‘Cuse offer last November. The 6-foot-1 Cadeau is ranked the No. 1 point guard in his class by several recruiting services.

If either Cadeau or Wagner reaches the Tournament of Champions final encounter, that game is slated to occur this coming Sunday afternoon from the Jersey Mike’s Arena.

Besides Syracuse basketball, Wagner holds offers from multiple other high-major programs, including Kentucky, Memphis, Villanova and Temple. For quite some time now, a bevy of national analysts and recruiting insiders have deemed Kentucky the overwhelming favorite to prevail in Wagner’s recruitment.