Syracuse Basketball: With 4-star likely out, Orange enters mix for 2023 big

This past Saturday, Syracuse basketball coaches extended numerous scholarship offers to high-school prospects in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 cycles at the Orange’s annual Elite Camp.

One of those offers, according to this tweet, went out to underrated and talented 2023 big man William Patterson, whose hometown is in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The 7-foot power forward/center is a rising senior at the Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Md., which suits up in the loaded 10-team National Interscholastic Basketball Conference.

On the AAU circuit, Patterson has been a member of an elite grassroots basketball program, the New York City-based New Heights Lightning in Nike’s EYBL league.

By the way, it’s important to note that one of Patterson’s teammates at the Bishop Walsh School is 2023 four-star guard Mike Williams, who is planning to take an official visit to the ‘Cuse in mid-September.

In recently updated pre-season top-25 national rankings ahead of the 2022-23 stanza from high-school hoops analyst and scout Samad Hines, the Bishop Walsh School just missed the cut, arriving at No. 26 overall.

A new Syracuse basketball recruit is high on the Orange after receiving an offer.

Per an interview with SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister, Patterson said that he has been communicating with the Syracuse basketball coaching staff for a few months now, and the parties have formed a good relationship. That’s encouraging.

What’s even more encouraging is that Patterson said the ‘Cuse is, at present, “number one on my list out of all of the offers I’ve received,” per McAllister’s story.

I get the sense that Patterson’s recruitment is just starting to heat up, and his Orange offer could certainly help facilitate additional high-major suitors.

According to his bio on the 247Sports Web site, his other offers include Rutgers, Oklahoma State and TCU, along with interest from Cincinnati.

Patterson told SyracuseOnSI that he could make a commitment announcement in the next couple of months, and he’s reportedly eyeing a visit to Fordham, with the potential for some official visits this fall, too.

For the time being, I’m not seeing Patterson ranked by the primary recruiting services in the 2023 class, but that absolutely could change.

As we recently detailed, Syracuse basketball hasn’t yet landed a commitment in the 2023 cycle. Long-time Orange priority recruit Joseph Estrella, a 2023 four-star big man, will announce on September 2, and he’s likely to pick Tennessee.

Therefore, it’s logical that the ‘Cuse coaching staff is eyeing other big-men options in this class, and it appears that Patterson has tons of potential and upside.