Syracuse basketball 4-star priority recruits ball out at AAU event in Albany

The annual GymRat Challenge took place this past weekend in Albany, N.Y., bringing together some of the best AAU programs throughout the Northeast, with multiple Syracuse basketball recruiting targets competing in this prestigious event.

According to media reports and comments made by both national recruiting analysts and scouts, several Orange four-star recruits received strong praise from these experts for their performances at the GymRat Challenge.

Three ‘Cuse recruiting targets who stood out at this showcase were 2023 wing/forward Tafara Gapare, 2023 four-star shooting guard Reid Ducharme and 2024 four-star point guard Robert Wright III.

Let’s get some insights from experts on this trio of Syracuse basketball recruits.

The 6-foot-10 Gapare, who is from Wellington, New Zealand, was offered by the Orange only a few weeks ago. He is out of the South Kent School in South Kent, Conn., and the Baltimore-based Team Melo in Nike’s EYBL league.

At the GymRat Challenge, Gapare displayed his athleticism, length and confidence, per 247Sports national analyst Dushawn London, noting that Gapare “also handles it well for his size, is a capable shooter and defensively got after it blocking multiple shots at the rim.”

The 6-foot-6 Ducharme, offered by Syracuse basketball last August at the team’s annual Elite Camp, appears to be a high-priority recruit for the ‘Cuse in this cycle.

Ducharme, who is ranked in the top-100 nationwide in his class per multiple recruiting services, suits up for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club in Nike’s EYBL league, as well as the Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.

Scouting analyst Tony McNiff of MADE Hoops called Ducharme one of his day-one standouts at the GymRat Challenge, adding in a tweet that the Syracuse basketball prospect was “showcasing his full offensive arsenal tonight. Knocking down contested threes, finishing in transition, & actively creating for others.”

The 6-foot-1 Wright has said in a couple of interviews lately that the Orange coaching staff, led by assistant coach Gerry McNamara, is recruiting him hard.

Wright is a star for the Philadelphia-based Team Final in Nike’s EYBL league and Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia, a top-flight public high-school squad that won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (“PIAA”) 4A state title during the 2021-22 stanza.

Recently named the Pennsylvania All-State Class 4A player of the year for his stellar sophomore campaign, Wright was offered by Syracuse basketball in March.

Both London and McNiff lauded Wright for his play at the GymRat Challenge. London wrote that Wright “stole the show with a big second half performance showcasing his scoring, craftiness with the ball, and advanced vision getting his teammates involved all night.”

McNiff tweeted out that Wright is an “excellent P&R navigator, accurate passer, and an opportunistic scorer. Uses a slippery handle to get in the lane to score or to find his teammates.”