Syracuse Basketball: 5-star center who had Orange interest unveils top 7

I had come across a handful of media reports dating back to the fall of 2020 that suggested Syracuse basketball coaches may have held some level of interest in 2023 five-star center Aaron Bradshaw from New Jersey.

Well, I never saw an official scholarship offer made by the Orange to the 7-foot Bradshaw, and the ‘Cuse isn’t going to land him. According to an article from On3 national recruiting analyst Joe Tipton, Bradshaw has disclosed his top seven, and the Orange didn’t make the cut.

Tipton reported that Bradshaw’s remaining options are Louisville, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Michigan, UCLA and the NBA’s G League.

These are all terrific contenders, and I’m sure that Bradshaw will shine wherever he lands. He is one of the top big men in the junior cycle.

Syracuse basketball isn’t in the running for five-star center Aaron Bradshaw.

Bradshaw attends Camden High School in Camden, N.J., which is one of the top public high-school squads across the country. On the AAU circuit, he runs with the New Jersey Scholars Elite Basketball Club in Nike’s EYBL league.

By the way, Bradshaw’s teammate at Camden High School and with the New Jersey Scholars is 2023 five-star point guard D.J. Wagner.

The 6-foot-3 Wagner, the consensus No. 1 prospect in the junior class, holds a Syracuse basketball offer, which he received last August at the Orange’s annual Elite Camp.

Bradshaw, per experts, played quite well last month during two live periods on the grassroots basketball circuit. As we’ve noted lately, ‘Cuse coaches reportedly were in attendance for at least one of the New Jersey Scholars’ games during the NCAA live periods.

Orange coaches also sat in on a Camden High School contest not too long ago, according to reports.

I had hoped that the ‘Cuse would end up offering Bradshaw, but that doesn’t seem to have transpired. Throughout his recruiting process, he has picked up more than 15 offers from a range of high-major squads. Blue-blood program Kentucky offered him last month.

Multiple recruiting services, including the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, rate Bradshaw as the No. 2 center nationwide in the 2023 class. The composite also has him as five stars, although several other recruiting Web sites place Bradshaw as four stars.

All of the primary recruiting services that I utilize situate him within the top-25 overall in this cycle.

It’s a bummer that Syracuse basketball didn’t really appear to emerge as a potential suitor for Bradshaw, although Orange coaches continue to pursue other big men in this class, such as 6-foot-11 Joseph Estrella with the Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., and 6-foot-10 Tafara Gapare out of the South Kent School in South Kent, Conn.