Syracuse Basketball: Priority 4-star big man, 5-star PG boost national stock

Two of the biggest stock risers this spring on the AAU circuit and at other prestigious events also happen to be a pair of Syracuse basketball recruiting targets in the 2024 class.

Just in the past few days, five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau and four-star center Yves Missi were among the big winners at the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas, an annual event that features many of the best high-school prospects across various recruiting cycles.

In the wake of the Pangos All-American Camp, I came across a boatload of articles and social-media commentary from national recruiting analysts and scouts that speak to the stand-out performances of the 6-foot-1 Cadeau and the 6-foot-11 Missi.

But we’ve got to delve further than that. In grassroots basketball this spring, including when college coaches could watch high-school players in person during April live periods, time and time again experts have noted the excellent production put forth by the top-10 Cadeau and the top-40 Missi.

Syracuse basketball is in pursuit of five-star Elliot Cadeau and four-star Yves Missi.

Cadeau, offered by the Orange coaching staff last November, is a rising junior who recently said he would transfer from Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J., to the Link Academy in Branson, Mo. In grassroots basketball, he runs with the New York City-based New Heights Lightning in Nike’s EYBL league.

This past December, Missi landed an offer from the ‘Cuse. He is a rising junior at the West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md. On the AAU circuit, he suits up for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league.

Several recent media reports have said that Syracuse basketball, Texas Tech and Tennessee have been recruiting Cadeau the hardest of late.

He has a visit scheduled for late September to Texas Tech, and I feel pretty confident that Cadeau will end up traveling to the Hill as well for a visit in the future.

Besides the Orange, Cadeau’s offer list includes Maryland, Seton Hall, Providence, St. John’s, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, TCU, UMass, Howard and Siena.

The bevy of recruiting services rates him as a top-10 national player in his class, as well as the country’s No. 1 point guard in 2024. I believe that Cadeau is a serious contender for the No. 1 overall rating in his cycle.

Missi, meanwhile, is deemed by several recruiting Web sites as a top-40 prospect around the country in this class, as well as a top-10 center.

Given his recent play in grassroots basketball, I could envision Missi making a significant run at attaining five-star status in the 2024 class.

Beyond Syracuse basketball, Missi has picked up scholarship offers from teams such as Kansas, Baylor, UConn, Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana, UCLA, St. John’s, Rutgers, DePaul, Norfolk State and USC Upstate.

Some reports have noted that Orange coaches are looking to possibly get Missi on the ‘Cuse campus for a visit in the future.

As we’ve discussed in various articles of late, Syracuse basketball coaches and their peers nationwide can start initiating direct communication with 2024 prospects on June 15.

Around that time, or shortly thereafter, I’d expect the Orange to ramp up its recruitment of both Missi and Cadeau.

Rob Cassidy, the basketball recruiting director for Rivals.com, recently wrote in part about the ‘Cuse big-man recruit, “Missi has a frame that screams NBA upside and his skill set is starting to catch up to his body.”

Regarding Cadeau, 247Sports national analyst Dushawn London recently said that the Orange point-guard target “is crafty with the ball, athletic, and his change of speeds makes it very hard for defenders to stay in front of him.”