Syracuse Basketball: Blue-bloods heavy for 4-star big, who crashes top 25

Syracuse basketball 2023 priority recruiting target Joseph Estrella has proven one of the hottest high-school prospects nationwide this spring, regardless of class designation, on the AAU circuit.

That has helped fuel a massive leap in his national rankings from the primary recruiting services, and the 6-foot-11 power forward/center is also seeing some big-time programs get into the mix for Estrella, who was fabulous as a junior during the 2021-22 campaign for South Portland High School in South Portland, Maine.

In the 2022-23 term, his senior year, the four-star Estrella will suit up for the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., a top-flight program that has sent numerous guys to the Hill in recent stanzas.

But before his Brewster Academy tenure transpires, Estrella has performed at an ultra-high level in grassroots basketball over the past couple of months for one of the best AAU squads out there, the New England-based Middlesex Magic in the Under Armour Association league.

Syracuse basketball coaches offered four-star Joseph Estrella nearly a year ago.

Last August, at the Orange’s annual Elite Camp, the ‘Cuse offered a scholarship to Estrella. I believe it amounted to his first offer from a high-major college team.

Since then, according to various media reports and interviews given by Estrella, it appears that Syracuse basketball coaches have recruited him hard, making Estrella a priority target in their 2023 cycle.

But the competition is intense. As we recently noted, Duke has offered Estrella. And not too long ago, fellow blue-blood program and 2022 national champion Kansas also offered him.

Besides those two recruiting heavyweights and the Orange, Estrella’s other offers include from Creighton, UConn, Iona, Miami, UMass, Illinois, Missouri, Xavier, California, Maryland, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Iowa, Providence, Tennessee, Harvard, Maine, Penn State and Marquette.

Per a recent article from 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein, Estrella has visited Marquette and Tennessee. Trips to Iowa and Duke are likely as well, according to reports.

As Finkelstein notes, once August arrives, Estrella can take five more official visits, and I’m really hoping that he decides to travel to Central New York to officially visit the ‘Cuse. Estrella has said that he would like to commit to a college squad before his senior season at the Brewster Academy commences.

For what it’s worth, under his bio on the 247Sports Web site, the recruiting service says that Estrella plans to officially visit Iona on July 28 and Iowa on July 29.

Meanwhile, Estrella’s national ratings have absolutely blown up. When On3 updated its 2023 rankings, it put him at No. 21 overall, No. 6 at power forward and No. 1 in Maine.

Via Rivals.com, Estrella recently skyrocketed from unranked to No. 56 nationally and No. 11 at power forward. Over at 247Sports, he is No. 65 nationwide, No. 10 at center and No. 3 in Maine.

The industry-generated 247Sports Composite places Estrella at No. 58 across the country, No. 9 at center and No. 3 in Maine. Last but not least, the industry-generated On3 Consensus has him at No. 41 overall, No. 8 at power forward and No. 1 in Maine.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Estrella makes a serious run at five-star status in the 2023 class when all is said and done.