Syracuse basketball 5-star recruits to battle in mock prep March Madness

The 2022 NCAA Tournament is underway, and, yes, Syracuse basketball isn’t in the field.

But a high-school hoops expert is having some fun with March Madness, as he has published a 68-team mock bracket composed of the top independent basketball academies, prep-school squads and public high schools.

A handful of these groups’ rosters feature high-school prospects who hold scholarship offers from the Orange in various recruiting cycles, as well as one ‘Cuse 2022 signee.

Jordan Divens, the national basketball editor for MaxPreps, revealed this high-school mock bracket in a recent article. He says that his bracketology is based on criteria such as teams’ overall records, their strengths of schedules, their roster compositions, and post-season results.

Let’s look at match-ups involving Syracuse basketball recruiting targets.

In the East Region, the No. 3 seed Camden High School in Camden, N.J., will play No. 14 seed Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia.

This is a fun one. Camden High School is led by All-American D.J. Wagner, a 2023 five-star point guard who was offered by the Orange last summer. One of the standouts for Neumann-Goretti High School is 2024 four-star point guard Robert Wright III, who landed a ‘Cuse offer just in the past few days.

The No. 4 seed Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., will take on the No. 13 seed Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Ga. Syracuse basketball coaches are reportedly showing interest in 2024 five-star guard Ian Jackson, who stars for Cardinal Hayes High School.

The No. 6 seed Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia will go toe to toe with the No. 11 seed Greensboro Day School in Greensboro, N.C.

One of the leaders for the Imhotep Institute Charter High School is 2023 five-star small forward Justin Edwards, who was offered by Syracuse basketball in July of 2021.

Heading over to the Midwest Region, the No. 2 seed La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind., will square off with the No. 15 seed Park Center Senior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minn.

One of the best players within the La Lumiere School line-up is Aden Holloway, a 2023 four-star point guard who secured an offer from the ‘Cuse coaching staff back in the summer of 2019, according to recruiting services.

The South Region is loaded. The No. 2 seed Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., will meet up with the No. 15 seed Hayfield Secondary School in Alexandria, Va.

The Montverde Academy roster includes 2023 five-star forward Kwame Evans Jr. and 2024 five-star power forward Derik Queen, both of whom hold Syracuse basketball offers, and 2022 five-star guard Skyy Clark, who recently de-committed from Kentucky and is reportedly receiving interest from the Orange.

The Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., the No. 4 seed in this region, will play the No. 13 seed, Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. High-priority target Judah Mintz, a 2022 four-star guard, is one of the top guys for the Oak Hill Academy.

Finally, in the West Region, the No. 5 seed Southern California Academy in Castaic, Calif., will duke it out with the No. 12 seed Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah.

This duel will pit Syracuse basketball 2022 commit Chris Bunch, a four-star small forward who attends the Wasatch Academy, against former ‘Cuse 2022 commit Dior Johnson, a five-star point guard who has signed with Oregon and competes for the Southern California Academy.