Syracuse Basketball: Priority 4-star PG explodes from unranked into top 25

I’ve prognosticated for a while now that Syracuse basketball 2024 priority target Robert Wright III would soon enter the national rankings for his class in a big-time way, and for once, I was right.

When Rivals.com recently updated and expanded its 2024 national ratings of the top-125 prospects in the rising-junior class, the 6-foot-1 point guard from Philadelphia proved one of the largest movers around the country.

The four-star Wright made his debut at No. 25 nationally, according to Rivals.com. His leap from unranked to that new spot not only leaves him within range of attaining five-star status down the line, but Wright also represented the second-highest newcomer nationwide in the Rivals.com refresh.

That’s pretty darn special, if you ask me. Of course, as Wright’s national rankings soar and he shines in grassroots basketball this summer, his offer sheet is going to continue growing. Which means heightened competition for the Orange coaching staff in trying to prevail here.

Syracuse basketball offered four-star point guard Robert Wright III in March.

On June 15, college coaches could begin making direct contact with high-school prospects in the 2024 class. In a recent piece, I discussed various 2024 players, such as Wright, for whom I felt the ‘Cuse would ramp up its recruitment once that contact period opened up.

In a new piece from Rivals.com basketball recruiting director Rob Cassidy, Wright noted that Syracuse basketball was among those schools that contacted him in mid-June, which is certainly encouraging.

Wright recently earned praise from national analysts and scouts for his play at the annual Philly Live showcase in Philadelphia during an NCAA live period.

In grassroots basketball this spring and early summer, Wright has proven a stand-out for the Philadelphia-based Team Final in Nike’s EYBL league.

That’s on top of the stellar sophomore season he put together during the 2021-22 campaign in helping lead Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (“PIAA”) 4A state title.

I’m hopeful that Wright will travel to the Hill for a visit in the future, and some media reports have suggested that development could occur at some point. Wright recently took an unofficial visit to Maryland, by the way.

Some of his more recent scholarship offers have arrived from Louisville, Georgetown, Mississippi State, Bryant and Temple, among others, according to recruiting services and Wright’s Twitter page.

Besides the Orange, other earlier offers to Wright included from Penn State, Kansas State, Maryland, Miami, Wake Forest, Seton Hall, VCU, Wichita State, La Salle and Delaware State.

In a recent interview with On3 national analyst Jamie Shaw, Wright said that he hears the most from suitors such as Syracuse basketball, Miami, Wake Forest and Maryland.