Syracuse Basketball: Opportunity to seal deal with 4-star big man on visit

Syracuse basketball 2023 high-priority target Joseph Estrella just finished up an official visit to Iowa, and according to several media reports, that trip went quite well.

Iowa coaches have been prioritizing the talented four-star big man for a while now, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Estrella’s two ultimate finalists ended up being the Hawkeyes and the ‘Cuse, which in August of 2021 was the first school to offer the fast-rising 6-foot-11 power forward/center.

To me, Iowa poses a significant threat to the Orange’s chances in Estrella’s recruitment. The Hawkeyes are a solid squad out of the rugged Big Ten Conference, and in recent seasons, Iowa certainly has done a fabulous job of developing big men.

Based on a variety of recent reports, including one from college basketball insider Adam Zagoria, Estrella’s possible options at present seem to center on Syracuse basketball, Iowa, Tennessee, Kansas and Gonzaga, which I don’t believe has offered a scholarship to Estrella (at least not yet).

Syracuse basketball has a huge opportunity to wow four-star Joseph Estrella on his CNY visit.

Beginning on August 4, Estrella is expected to take an official visit to the Hill. He’s already officially visited Marquette, Tennessee and, most recently, Iowa.

Estrella recently canceled his planned visit to Duke, which helps the Orange’s chances (and that of his other remaining suitors). He told Zagoria that if he were to take any additional visits after his one to the Orange, it might be to Kansas and/or Gonzaga.

I want to make it clear that I am not in Estrella’s inner circle. However, based on interviews he’s given, analyst chatter and stuff I’ve read on a variety of message boards, my own personal sense is that he is going to end up at either Iowa or the ‘Cuse.

Has Syracuse basketball developed big men as well as Iowa in recent seasons? Looking ahead to the 2023-24 stanza, assuming senior center Jesse Edwards doesn’t take a fifth year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, would the Orange have more playing time available for Estrella than the Hawkeyes right away?

Those are some of the key questions that I imagine will factor into his decision. Estrella, by all accounts, has terrific relationships with the coaching staff at each of those schools.

Will Syracuse basketball having offered him first and likely having been pursuing Estrella the longest make a difference? I certainly hope so.

This spring and summer, Estrella was lights out in grassroots basketball for the Middlesex Magic in the Under Armour Association league. He is headed to the powerhouse Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., for his senior year.

It’s likely that Estrella will make a college choice before his senior season at the Brewster Academy gets underway. To me, I think that Syracuse basketball coaches, current players and others associated with the program have a tremendous opportunity to make a top-notch impression on Estrella and, hopefully, convince him to don an Orange uniform down the line.