Syracuse Basketball: 4-star wing’s reasons for picking Xavier are telling

In recent days, I’ve perused a lot of insightful, and emotional, commentary from my fellow Syracuse basketball fans on social media and in chat rooms.

The bulk of fans’ thoughts, as it pertains to the Orange’s recruiting efforts lately, center on 2023 four-star wing Reid Ducharme and 2023 four-star big man Joseph Estrella.

On Thursday, the 6-foot-6 Ducharme picked Big East Conference member Xavier over the ‘Cuse and Penn State. He had officially visited all three of those suitors this summer.

On September 2, the 6-foot-11 Estrella will announce his future collegiate destination, and the word from national recruiting analysts is that he’s likely to select Southeastern Conference squad Tennessee over the Orange and others.

Syracuse basketball coaches offered both of these 2023 players last August at the team’s annual Elite Camp. The Orange coaching staff prioritized Ducharme and Estrella for quite some time, and it appears that the ‘Cuse is going to miss out on each of them.

Former four-star Syracuse basketball recruit Reid Ducharme dished on his decision.

In the wake of him choosing Xavier, Ducharme explained in multiple interviews why he is headed to the Musketeers. Xavier, by the way, is led by head coach Sean Miller, an ace recruiter who most recently was the boss at Pac-12 Conference team Arizona.

"Ducharme said in part to On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, “I chose Xavier because I felt a really strong connection with all the coaches on the staff and thought they were the best fit for me. Coach Miller and I have a lot of the same goals and drive.”"

That last sentence, to me, is telling. Ducharme says he and his future college head coach have similar goals and drive. Naturally, that leads me and a host of other Orange hoops fans to wonder: did Ducharme not feel that kind of connection with Syracuse basketball head coach Jim Boeheim, who is one of the all-time greats but is also likely nearing the end of his head-coaching tenure on the Hill?

I’m so unbelievably curious how the uncertainty (at least publicly) over when Boeheim will retire, and who will be the team’s next head coach, is impacting the Orange’s recruiting efforts in the 2023 and 2024 cycles (and beyond).

You would think that other college squads are trying to use this uncertainty against the ‘Cuse. And it appears to be working. Assuming Estrella picks the Volunteers, Syracuse basketball will still be without a commitment in 2023, after having offered scholarships to around 20 high-school players in this particular class.

To be fair, Ducharme may have selected Xavier in part (maybe in large part), because he wants to immediately contribute, and he perhaps felt that playing time wouldn’t be available right away for him with the Orange.

That’s totally reasonable and understandable, given that three members of the Syracuse basketball 2022 cycle are guards of one form or another.

"In an interview with 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein, Ducharme said in part, “One of the biggest things I saw in Xavier was the belief that Coach Miller had in me and the belief he could help take my game to the next level.”"

Again, with this statement, how did Boeheim view Ducharme? It’s not like Boeheim and his assistants weren’t recruiting Ducharme hard, as they watched him play in person on numerous occasions this spring and summer on the AAU circuit as he competed for the Boston Amateur Basketball Club in Nike’s EYBL league.

But again, the ‘Cuse possesses three freshmen guards on its current roster, and the team had been pursuing several other 2023 four-star guards in recent months. Maybe all of that turned Ducharme off. Maybe not.

A consensus four-star, top-100 prospect in the rising-senior class, Ducharme attends the Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., where Estrella will also spend his senior year.

The possibility of both these guys suiting up in Central New York for the 2023-24 campaign no longer exists, and Syracuse basketball is likely going to go 0-for-2 in their recruitments. That has left many Orange fans feeling angry, disappointed and frustrated.

"Here’s another interesting quote from Ducharme. In a Q&A with scouting service Pro Insight, the shooting guard/small forward said when asked what separated Xavier from his other finalists, “It was a really hard decision to make, but what stuck out the most to me was the relationships I built with all the coaches and it just felt like the right decision. I also liked the Big East where basketball is the main focus.”"

See. I told you Syracuse basketball belongs in the Big East Conference rather than the Atlantic Coast Conference (wink, wink).