Syracuse Basketball: New ranking has big-man target as 4 stars, in top 100

Syracuse basketball only recently offered a scholarship to fast-rising big man Drew Fielder, and the 2023 four-star prospect continues to make moves in the national rankings for this class.

The 6-foot-9 power forward/center, who plays prep-school and AAU ball on the west coast, was rated as four stars and No. 96 across the country when experts at The Circuit published new 2023 player rankings not too long ago on theseasonticket.com.

When we wrote about the Orange’s reported pursuit of Fielder in another recent column, he checked in at No. 111 overall via 247Sports and No. 103 nationally according to On3.

Multiple recruiting Web sites deem Fielder as a top-20 power forward or a top-20 center on a national scale within the 2023 class.

Syracuse basketball is in the hunt for four-star big man Drew Fielder.

Fielder is entering his senior season at the Southern California Academy in Northridge, Calif. During the most recent AAU circuit this past spring and summer, Fielder was a huge stock-riser as he played at a high level for the Los Angeles-based West Coast Elite in the Under Armour Association league.

Throughout his recruiting process, Fielder has amassed more than two-dozen offers, and he disclosed his recent scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse on his Twitter page.

In a recent tweet, Pro Insight director of scouting Andrew Slater said that college groups in pursuit of Fielder, besides Syracuse basketball, include Southern California, Iowa, Boston College, Miami, TCU, Nebraska, St. John’s, Providence, Colorado, Boise State, Oregon State, Loyola Marymount and St. Mary’s.

In early September, long-time Orange recruiting target Joseph Estrella, a 2023 four-star big man, picked Tennessee over Syracuse basketball and Iowa.

This decision was expected, as a boatload of national recruiting analysts in recent weeks had projected that Estrella would choose the Volunteers.

As such, the ‘Cuse recently offered Fielder as well as 2023 big man William Patterson, a 7-foot power forward/center who is a senior at the Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, Md.

Syracuse basketball coaches offered Patterson around the time that he participated in the team’s annual Elite Camp, which this year was held in late August.

For now, and this could change depending on transfers in and out of the program after the 2022-23 stanza but the Orange should have several scholarships available for 2023-24.

Is it realistic that the ‘Cuse could land both Fielder and Patterson? I do not have inside information on that, although my assumption is that Syracuse basketball would be likely to only pick up one of these 2023 big men.