Syracuse Basketball: Many 4-star, 5-star recruits in top 25 of new ESPN 60

Not too long ago, ESPN published its new national rankings of the top-60 players in the 2024 class, and a handful of high-school prospects who hold Syracuse basketball scholarship offers are highly rated by this recruiting service.

Within the new ESPN 60, I found seven players who are in these rankings and also have received offers from the Orange coaching staff.

Those seven prospects are five-star guard Ian Jackson, five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau, five-star big man Derik Queen, five-star wing Vyctorius Miller, four-star center Yves Missi, four-star power forward Donnie Freeman and four-star big man Thomas Sorber.

Let’s go more in-depth on these Syracuse basketball targets in the new ESPN rankings.

Ian Jackson, No. 2
The 6-foot-6 Jackson, out of New York City, was offered by the ‘Cuse in April. He said a month later that Syracuse basketball was among the teams heavily involved in his recruitment.

However, Jackson has picked up a host of offers and interest from blue-blood programs of late, particularly as college coaches could begin making direct contact with 2024 players in mid-June. I don’t get the sense that the Orange, these days, is a big contender for Jackson.

He is a star for Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., and plays in AAU competitions for the Bronx, N.Y.-based Wiz Kids in the Adidas league.

Elliot Cadeau, No. 11
Several recruiting services rank the 6-foot-1 Cadeau as the No. 1 point guard across the country in the junior class. The ‘Cuse offered him last November, and he has said more than once that Syracuse basketball coaches are in consistent contact with him.

Cadeau, in his junior year, is moving from Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, N.J., to the Link Academy in Branson, Mo. He plays for the New York City-based New Heights Lightning in Nike’s EYBL league.

Derik Queen, No. 12
The 6-foot-9 Queen, who is from Baltimore, was offered by the Orange last October. He recently helped lead the Baltimore-based Team Thrill to the Under Armour Association championship in the 17U division.

Queen is heading into his junior season at the powerhouse Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., which captured the 2022 GEICO Nationals this past spring.

Vyctorius Miller, No. 17
According to multiple recruiting services, the ‘Cuse has offered the 6-foot-5 Miller, although it’s not clear to me when that reported offer went out to him.

Miller, in the most recent AAU circuit, played for the Los Angeles-based West Coast Elite in the Under Armour Association league.

He is transferring for his junior year from Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, Calif., to the loaded AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz.

Yves Missi, No. 25
The Orange offered the 6-foot-11 Missi last December. In recent months, this talented center has seen his national rankings and his offer sheet explode.

While ESPN puts Missi at No. 25 in its new 2024 ratings, other recruiting services have him as five stars and within the top 15. He suits up for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league.

As a sophomore, he played at the West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md., but Missi has elected to transfer to Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif.

Donnie Freeman, No. 26
The first offer that Syracuse basketball coaches made in the 2024 cycle was doled out to the 6-foot-9 Freeman from Washington, D.C.

Freeman, listed as four or five stars depending on the recruiting Web site, got his Orange offer in August of 2021 at the team’s annual Elite Camp.

He is a star player for St. John’s College High School in D.C. and competes for the Washington-based Team Takeover program in Nike’s EYBL league. That AAU program has sent multiple players to the Hill in recent seasons.

Thomas Sorber, No. 52
The 6-foot-9 Sorber, a power forward/center, was just offered by the ‘Cuse right before this year’s Elite Camp held in late August. Sorber made an unofficial visit to the Hill to participate in the camp.

He is a junior at Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia and plays for the Philadelphia-based Team Final in Nike’s EYBL league.

Sorber is AAU teammates with 2024 four-star point guard and Syracuse basketball priority target Robert Wright III, who surprisingly was left out of the new ESPN 60 for this class.