Syracuse basketball 5-star recruits are key in USA Basketball scoring gold

Over the weekend, the USA Basketball U17 national team captured a gold medal, and two Syracuse basketball five-star recruiting targets proved strong contributors throughout the recently held tournament in Spain.

The USA Basketball U17 national squad, after trailing Spain by five points at the half, stormed back to emerge victorious in the championship game of the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup on Sunday, 79-67.

The event was held in Málaga, Spain, and on the USA Basketball U17 national team roster were 2023 five-star point guard D.J. Wagner from New Jersey and 2024 four-star guard Ian Jackson from New York.

The 6-foot-3 Wagner received a scholarship offer from the Orange last August at the team’s annual Elite Camp, although numerous analysts believe his recruitment will come down to in-state rivals Kentucky and Louisville.

The 6-foot-6 Jackson, meanwhile, picked up a ‘Cuse offer this past April. He was also on the roster of the U.S. national squad that claimed the 2021 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.

Syracuse basketball recruiting targets helped USA Basketball notch a gold medal.

The 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup ran from July 2 to July 10, spanning seven games for USA Basketball. By conquering Spain in the title match-up, the USA Basketball U17 national team acquired the gold medal in the FIBA U17 World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.

According to information on the fiba.basketball Web site, over those seven encounters, Jackson averaged 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

He tallied 26 points and 21 points in two separate contests. Over the course of the tourney, he connected on 54.5 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point land and 100 percent from the charity stripe (Jackson only had two attempts, though).

On two separate occasions throughout the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup, Wagner produced 12 points. In total, he averaged 9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Wagner struggled a bit with his shooting, hitting on just 38.8 percent from the field, 19 percent from deep and 87.5 percent from the charity stripe.

Jackson is a rising junior at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., and he runs on the AAU circuit with the Bronx, N.Y.-based Wiz Kids in the Adidas league.

Wagner is a stand-out rising senior at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., and with the New Jersey Scholars Elite Basketball Club in Nike’s EYBL league.