Turns out Syracuse basketball had chance with 4-star Judah Mintz after all

In the days and weeks leading up to the commitment announcement by 2022 four-star guard Judah Mintz, a plethora of Syracuse basketball fans were “convinced” that the 6-foot-3 Mintz was headed somewhere besides the Orange, likely to DePaul.

It’s amazing that these fans knew what Mintz was going to do, since I assume none of these said ‘Cuse fans actually have a relationship with Mintz, his camp, the Orange coaching staff, Mintz’s high-school or AAU coaches, etc.

I say this in jest, because social-media channels and chat rooms enable Syracuse basketball fans to proclaim they know what a high-school recruit like Mintz is going to do, when in reality, they have no clue whatsoever.

Even the so-called experts – the national analysts and other recruiting insiders whom I often quote in my articles, because they’re experts and I’m not – got this one wrong.

All of the analyst buzz on the 247Sports Web site, On3.com and Rivals.com, as we have documented on numerous occasions of late, pointed to Mintz picking Big East Conference member DePaul. Whoopsies.

Syracuse basketball, after all the speculation, won out for four-star Judah Mintz.

Mintz, a senior at the powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., revealed his commitment to the ‘Cuse on Thursday late afternoon/early evening.

It was only late Wednesday evening when 247Sports national analyst Travis Branham logged a projection for Mintz in the direction of the Orange, although with a low confidence level of 1.

That made things interesting. Over the next few hours, other recruiting analysts on the 247Sports Web site and elsewhere followed suit, changing their predictions for Mintz from the Blue Demons to Syracuse basketball.

By the time this young man was prepared to reveal his collegiate destination, it “seemed” pretty clear that Mintz was going to choose the ‘Cuse. He did, of course, delighting me and legions of other Orange hoops fanatics.

Syracuse basketball now has a six-member class in 2022, buoyed by the top-35 Mintz, along with a four-star point guard, a four-star shooting guard, a four-star small forward, and two three-star big men. Tremendous.

But yeah, all along, many of my fellow ‘Cuse fans thought it was a done deal that Mintz was going to select DePaul. Syracuse basketball had “no chance at all.” Hey, we all get things wrong sometimes. Even the experts, by and large, did with Mintz.

That’s why I never give up hope for the Orange potentially winning out for a recruit. We were all convinced the ‘Cuse was out of the running for Judah Mintz.

But Syracuse basketball wasn’t. It prevailed, in fact.