Syracuse Basketball: 5-star big man target dishes on teams standing out

In a couple of recent interviews with national recruiting analysts, Syracuse basketball five-star target Yves Missi has discussed some of the teams that presently stick out to him and are recruiting him the hardest.

Now, the fast-rising 6-foot-11 center likely has a way to go in his recruiting process, as he is a rising junior within the 2024 class.

Plus, the contact period for college coaches to be able to directly reach out to 2024 players only opened up in mid-June, so Missi will likely see many more suitors arrive for him sooner rather than later.

Missi, who attends the West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md., has proven a star in grassroots basketball this spring and summer for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league.

Syracuse basketball got involved early on with 2024 five-star big man Yves Missi.

The Orange offered a scholarship to Missi last December, while he was still in his sophomore season at the West Nottingham Academy and before college coaches could directly communicate with him.

In early May, we noted that PSA Cardinals executive director Munch Williams had told SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister that ‘Cuse coaches would like to get Missi to the Hill for a visit at some point in the future.

While I remain hopeful that will transpire, the competition in Missi’s recruitment is intense, which is no surprise given that he recently vaulted into the top-15 across the country in updated 2024 national rankings from On3 and Rivals.com.

I’ve come across recent media reports suggesting that blue-bloods Kentucky and North Carolina are showing interest in Missi. To date, he has received offers from teams including Kansas, Baylor, LSU, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, UConn, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Harvard, UCLA, St. John’s, Rutgers, DePaul, Norfolk State and USC Upstate.

In a recent interview with Rivals.com national analyst Travis Graf, Missi said that Baylor, Kansas and UCLA are sticking out to him early in Missi’s recruiting process.

On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, in another recent piece, asked Missi which schools are recruiting him the hardest, and Missi mentioned squads including Michigan, UCLA, Kansas, Stanford, Georgetown and DePaul.

Naturally, some of my fellow Syracuse basketball fans will read this and wonder if the ‘Cuse is a significant contender for Missi. I’m not in this young man’s inner circle, but I would point out that Missi’s recruitment could carry on for a while longer.

Plus, when Missi and his PSA Cardinals teammates recently competed at the EYBL’s annual Peach Jam tournament in North Augusta, S.C., Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim was in attendance for at least one PSA Cardinals game, per a tweet from Rivals.com national analyst Rob Cassidy.

Other suitors, including a few blue-blood programs, may have the upper hand in Missi’s recruitment early on, but let’s see if the Orange can land a visit from this elite center in the 2024 cycle.