Look for Syracuse basketball to ramp up recruitment of these 5-star targets
By Neil Adler
Yves Missi
The recruitment of four-star center Yves Missi is growing by leaps and bounds of late. In fact, one could reasonably opine that his recruitment is totally blowing up (in a good way).
The 6-foot-11 Missi has been on a tear this spring in AAU events. His national rankings are climbing, and his offer sheet is ballooning.
Syracuse basketball coaches offered him last December. Around that time, his early offers had arrived from squads including UCLA, St. John’s, Rutgers, DePaul, Norfolk State and USC Upstate.
However, amid NCAA live periods in April when presumably a lot of college coaches watched Missi play in person, some of the newer suitors vying for his services are 2022 national champion Kansas, 2021 Big Dance winner Baylor, UConn, Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana.
This is all occurring prior to college coaches being able to contact Missi directly. In the coming days, when coaches can initiate communication with him, I can only imagine how his offer list is going to look in the near future.
Missi is a rising junior at the West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md. He has impressed analysts and scouts lately with his performances on the AAU circuit with the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league.
Experts rave about Missi’s defensive instincts and rim-protecting abilities. He is highly proficient at blocking and altering shots without fouling his opponents.
On offense, his paint moves are certainly credible, although some scouts do note that his offensive skill-set will continue to get refined.
Multiple recruiting services currently rate Missi as a top-40 overall player in the 2024 class, as well as a top-10 center in this cycle.
Munch Williams, the executive director of the PSA Cardinals, recently told SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister that after June 15 arrives, ‘Cuse coaches are likely to increase their pursuit of Missi.
By extension, Syracuse basketball is hoping to land a visit from Missi at some point, according to Williams. That would prove a huge step in solidifying the Orange as a solid contender for this talented big man.