Likely big long shot for Syracuse basketball, but 5-star bigs now available

Syracuse basketball already has a solid five-member class in the 2022 cycle that includes several big men, but I have to imagine that Orange coaches are continuing to monitor developments across the country as it relates to the transfer portal additions and high-school players who have de-committed from their future college squads.

To that end, due to head-coaching changes at two Southeastern Conference schools of late, two five-star big men in the 2022 class have reopened their recruitments back up, according to media reports.

They are Yohan Traore, a 6-foot-10 power forward/center at the Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Ariz., who committed to LSU, as well as Malik Reneau, a 6-foot-8 power forward/center from the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., who had pledged to Florida.

For the Tigers, Murray State head coach Matt McMahon is replacing Will Wade, who was recently fired by LSU. At the Gators, San Francisco head coach Todd Golden is taking over for former Florida boss Mike White, who is now at fellow SEC team Georgia.

Could Syracuse basketball pursue five-stars Yohan Traore and Malik Reneau?

According to recruiting services, both Traore and Reneau have received numerous scholarship offers from a range of high-majors throughout their recruiting processes.

National analyst Joe Tipton of On3.com said in an article that prior to picking the Gators, Reneau considered other squads such as Miami, Memphis, Florida State, Arkansas, Indiana and Seton Hall.

In a separate story, Tipton noted that Traore picked LSU over other finalists including Texas Tech, Michigan, Memphis, Auburn and Kansas.

Per a review of the primary recruiting services, Traore is a consensus top-40 prospect in the 2022 class, and he’s rated as high as No. 8 nationally by Rivals.com. Traore is also generally considered a top-five power forward/center in this cycle.

Reneau is a consensus top-50 player in the 2022 class who is ranked as high as No. 18 overall by Rivals.com. He is deemed a top-10 power forward/center in this cycle by many recruiting services.

For Syracuse basketball, its 2022 signees include two talented big men in three-star power forward Maliq Brown from the Blue Ridge School in St. George, Va., and three-star power forward/center Peter Carey, who most recently suited up for the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Mount Hermon, Mass.

I’m not a recruiting analyst, but I do follow college and high-school basketball closely. Given the elite skill-sets of Traore and Reneau, if either or both of them had any interest in the Orange whatsoever, I’m confident that the ‘Cuse would take a look.

However, the chances that Syracuse basketball could pick up either of these 2022 five-star big men are probably super slim.