Syracuse Basketball: 4-star cites family’s closeness with Derrick Coleman

In a recent interview with a recruiting service, 2025 prolific-scoring guard Jerry Easter II from Ohio discussed some of his suitors, including Syracuse basketball.

This past July, the Orange coaching staff doled out its first scholarship offer to a high-school prospect in the 2025 cycle, with that offer going to the 6-foot-4 Easter, a consensus four-star player who was an All-American in his freshman campaign.

Listed as either a point guard or a shooting guard by recruiting Web sites, Easter is a sophomore at the Emmanuel Christian School in Toledo, Ohio.

Easter recently competed at a USA Basketball junior national team minicamp in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he caught the attention of national recruiting analysts and top scouts, such as 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein.

Syracuse basketball has gotten involved early on with 2025 four-star guard Jerry Easter II.

Rated in the top 50 nationally in his class by numerous recruiting Web sites, Easter already has an impressive offer sheet that includes Louisville, Memphis, Michigan State, Ohio State, Mississippi State, Mike Hopkins-led Washington, UCLA, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Arizona State, Missouri, New Mexico State, Bowling Green, Morgan State, Northern Illinois, Oakland, Toledo and Cleveland State.

"Easter, who recently took an unofficial visit to Ohio State, said of the Orange in a recent interview with 247Sports national analyst Brandon Jenkins, “Derrick Coleman played there. I know him personally. He is close with the family. I feel comfortable going there because I know him and they have a good school.”"

Obviously, Derrick Coleman needs no introduction. He is a Syracuse basketball legend. Hopefully, Coleman is talking up the ‘Cuse to Easter!

"Finkelstein had this to say in part about the Syracuse basketball recruiting target. “Easter is a big guard with a strong body and good athleticism. He impressed on (a recent) Saturday with his ability to get downhill and make attacking plays, all while exhibiting a solid feel for the game. He showed an advanced understanding of how to play pick-and-roll at his age, was able to create pace going north-to-south in the open floor, used his body effectively, and was a reliable decision-maker.”"

Besides Easter, Syracuse basketball coaches have offered two other 2025 prospects, and they are four-star guard/wing Efeosa Oliogu from the United Scholastic Academy in Toronto as well as four-star combo guard Darius Adams out of the Manasquan High School in Manasquan, N.J.

When I wrote this column, 247Sports had Easter at No. 48 overall in this cycle. He was No. 34 from Rivals.com, No. 33 via The Circuit, No. 27 from On3, and No. 38 per the industry-generated On3 Consensus.