Syracuse Basketball: 5-star recruit scores national player of year honors

A national media outlet has published its 2021-22 All-America teams for those prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and several high-school players with either Syracuse basketball scholarship offers or interest from the Orange received inclusion on these prestigious squads.

Leading the way is 2024 five-star guard Ian Jackson, who is a serious contender for the No. 1 overall rating in this class. He attends Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., and competes on the Adidas AAU circuit for the Bronx, N.Y.-based Wiz Kids.

As we’ve noted in past columns, in February, Mike Waters of Syracuse.com had reported that ‘Cuse coaches went to watch the 6-foot-6 Jackson play.

To date, I don’t believe that Syracuse basketball coaches have formally offered Jackson. Jordan Divens, the MaxPreps national basketball editor, has named Jackson as the national sophomore of the year for the 2021-22 campaign.

Per Divens, in the most recent stanza, Jackson averaged 19.8 points, five rebounds and four assists per affair for a Cardinal Hayes team that finished in the top-10 nationally, according to MaxPreps.

According to recruiting services and media reports, Jackson’s offers include from Kansas, UCLA, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Oklahoma State, UConn, Nebraska, Kansas State and Bryant. He is also reportedly garnering interest from teams such as Duke, Kentucky and Florida State.

Other Syracuse basketball 2024 recruiting targets stood out this past term.

Included on Divens’ 2021-22 sophomore All-America second unit is 2024 five-star wing Vyctorius Miller, who has reportedly received interest from the Orange coaching staff and suits up for Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, Calif.

Miller tallied averages of 20 points, five rebounds and four assists per contest last season.

Three 2024 prospects who have obtained Syracuse basketball offers were featured in the honorable-mention department of the sophomore All-America awards from Divens.

They are four-star power forward Donnie Freeman, five-star power forward Derik Queen and four-star point guard Robert Wright III. The ‘Cuse offered Freeman last August, Queen last October and Wright in March.

Freeman is out of St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. Queen attends the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., and Wright is a star for Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia.

According to Divens’ article, Freeman averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game, Queen produced 6.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per encounter, and Wright generated 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.