Syracuse Basketball: 5-star center with ‘Cuse offer has top 3, set to decide

Five-star player Yves Missi, one of the top centers in the 2024 recruiting cycle who received a scholarship from Syracuse basketball about a year ago, is down to three finalists and plans to announce his college decision in the coming days, according to a media report.

The 6-foot-11 Missi, who is suiting up in the 2022-23 season for one of the best high-school teams around the country, will choose between 2021 national champion Baylor, Texas and Stanford, per an article from On3 national analyst Joe Tipton.

Tipton notes that Missi plans to make his commitment announcement on Wednesday, Jan. 4. It’s a bummer that the Orange is out of the running for Missi, but I’m not surprised in the least.

Earlier on in his recruitment, I saw reports from time to time about Missi that would mention Syracuse basketball, but more recently, the ‘Cuse was not discussed as a significant contender for this elite big man in the junior class.

Syracuse basketball is eliminated from contention for five-star center Yves Missi.

Last December, the Orange coaching staff offered Missi, before his recruitment blew up. He was a standout performer in the most recent AAU circuit while competing for the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league.

When college coaches could begin initiating direct contact with 2024 high-school prospects in mid-June, Missi started to see his offer sheet rapidly grow.

According to recruiting services, reports and Missi’s own Twitter page, his offers beyond Syracuse basketball included Alabama, Texas, Seton Hall, Kansas, Baylor, LSU, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Georgetown, UConn, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia Tech, Harvard, UCLA, St. John’s, Rutgers, DePaul, Norfolk State and USC Upstate.

In the current 2022-23 stanza, Missi is suiting up for powerhouse Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., a team that is expected to seriously contend for a berth in next spring’s GEICO Nationals.

When I penned this column, I counted at least five predictions in Baylor’s direction for Missi between the 247Sports Web site and Rivals.com.

Certainly, if he does end up picking the Bears, that would prove a fabulous future collegiate home for Missi, as Baylor cut down the nets in 2021 and has been one of the country’s best squads in recent years, led by a terrific head coach, Scott Drew.

Multiple of the primary recruiting services rate Missi as five stars and in the top 20 overall, in the top two at center and in the top three in California within the 2024 cycle.

At present, On3 is the most bullish on him, placing Missi as five stars, No. 6 nationally, No. 2 at center and No. 1 in California.

As we’ve detailed in many columns in recent months, Syracuse basketball coaches have offered a wide range of four-star and five-star players in the junior class, although the Orange is still looking for its first commitment in this cycle.

A few days ago, long-time ‘Cuse recruiting target Elliot Cadeau announced his verbal commitment to North Carolina after having Syracuse basketball in his top six.

The 6-foot-1 Cadeau, a five-star point guard who attends the juggernaut Link Academy in Branson, Mo., was offered by the Orange in November of 2021.

Businessman and top SU booster Adam Weitsman had offered a three-year, seven-figure name, image and likeness deal to Cadeau, we reported in a story last Monday.