Syracuse Basketball: 5-star recruits on pre-season top-5 teams to collide

Multiple top-flight players in the rising-junior class who hold either a Syracuse basketball offer or reported interest from the Orange will take part in an elite match-up during the 2022-23 season, according to an expert.

Per a tweet from high-school hoops analyst and scout Samad Hines, two tremendous prep-school squads will do battle on November 22 in Salt Lake City.

Those groups are the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., and the juggernaut AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., according to Hines.

During the 2021-22 campaign, the Montverde Academy captured the prestigious 2022 GEICO Nationals in early April. The AZ Compass Prep School also competed in this year’s GEICO Nationals and finished up 2021-22 as a top-10 group around the country.

Looking ahead to 2022-23, both the Montverde Academy and the AZ Compass Prep School will be members of the loaded 10-team National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (“NIBC”), which is arguably the premier high-school hoops league around the country.

Syracuse basketball recruiting targets will go toe to toe in the late fall.

As far as the ‘Cuse recruiting connections to these prep-school giants, we recently noted that, in the 2022-23 campaign, the AZ Compass Prep School roster will include 2024 five-star wing Vyctorius Miller.

The 6-foot-5 Miller is transferring there from Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, Calif. As a sophomore at Crean Lutheran in 2021-22, he was outstanding, earning All-America accolades.

We’ve come across various media reports in recent months suggesting that Orange coaches may be displaying interest in Miller. As college coaches are soon able to initiate direct communication with 2024 players, let’s see if the ‘Cuse ends up offering a scholarship to Miller.

As far as the Montverde Academy, which ended the 2021-22 stanza as the No. 1 prep-school squad nationwide, its line-up includes 2024 five-star big man Derik Queen from Baltimore.

Syracuse basketball had reportedly shown interest in the 6-foot-9 power forward/center for quite some time, and the Orange officially offered Queen last October.

Both Queen and Miller are rated as top-10 overall prospects in this class according to multiple recruiting services, and each of them is a significant contender for the No. 1 national rating in 2024 when all is said and done.

According to several recruiting Web sites, Syracuse basketball has had interest in 2024 four-star point guard Curtis Givens III.

The 6-foot-3 Givens, in his cycle, is ranked as a top-75 national player as well as a top-10 point guard, according to a couple of recruiting services.

Not too long ago, we highlighted in a piece that Givens said on social media he plans to transfer from the Memphis University School in Memphis, Tenn., to the Montverde Academy for the upcoming 2022-23 term.

When the contact period for 2024 players opens in the near future, I’d love to see the ‘Cuse offer Givens as well, although the Orange coaching staff is already pursuing at least two other point guards in this class.

In any event, the Montverde Academy squaring off with the AZ Compass Prep School should prove a fun event, as Hines has them both as pre-season top-five teams prior to 2022-23 getting underway.