Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Elijah Moore ‘deadly’ from deep, per top expert

Late Sunday evening on a national broadcast, Syracuse basketball 2024 four-star priority recruiting target Elijah Moore and his New York City teammates suited up against a Philadelphia powerhouse in a showcase event.

The 6-foot-4 Moore, who a week ago put the Orange among his five finalists and could announce a college decision soon, struggled with his outside shooting a bit in this enticing encounter, although in all fairness, I’ve seen him light up the scoreboard on many occasions in recent months whether as part of the 2022-23 high-school season or the most recent AAU circuit.

On Sunday, Elijah Moore and his squad, Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., put up a terrific fight, but they fell 62-59 to the Imhotep Institute Charter High School in the 2023 Spalding Hoophall Classic at the Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass.

Imhotep Institute Charter is one the top high-school groups nationwide. It is led by 2023 five-star small forward Justin Edwards, who held a ‘Cuse offer but is committed to Kentucky. Edwards was sensational in guiding his team to a win over Cardinal Hayes.

Syracuse basketball four-star priority recruit Elijah Moore received praise from a noted expert.

In the setback to Imhotep Institute Charter, Moore played 25 minutes, scored 12 points, hauled in five rebounds and had two steals. He had an off night shooting the ball, as he connected on 3-of-12 from the field, 1-of-6 from 3-point land but 5-of-5 from the charity stripe, according to a box score provided by Legit Sport Stats.

To reiterate, Elijah Moore struggled with his shot in this game, but in other recent outings, he’s torched opponents. In any event, on Sunday, the ESPN2 broadcast team included Paul Biancardi, the national recruiting director for ESPN.

At one point in this contest, Biancardi said that he believes Moore possesses a “sweet and deadly three-point shot.” That’s great to hear, as Biancardi is one of the most respected recruiting experts out there.

As far as Moore’s recruitment goes, his top five consists of Syracuse basketball, Alabama, Arkansas, Miami and Oklahoma State. He has taken both an official visit (October 2022) and an unofficial visit (August 2022) to the Hill.

Elijah Moore has also officially visited Oklahoma State and may take a trip to Alabama in the near future, according to recruiting analysts. I’m not in his inner circle, but my personal take is that Moore’s recruitment will boil down to the ‘Cuse, Oklahoma State and Alabama, although things can also quickly change.

When I penned this column, there was one projection in the Orange’s direction for Moore on the 247Sports Web site. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has given Syracuse basketball a slight edge over Oklahoma State at this juncture.

On Monday, On3 national analyst Jamie Shaw, one of the best recruiting experts out there, wrote a piece about Moore. Shaw wrote in part, “As of this writing, Syracuse is carrying momentum. The ‘family feel’ with the Oklahoma State staff made an impression, and if Alabama does make a move and get an official visit, that should be monitored.”

A member of the Bronx, N.Y.-based Wiz Kids in the Adidas league on the AAU tour, Moore has received around 20 offers from a range of high-major programs throughout his recruitment. Orange coaches got involved with him relatively early on, offering Moore a scholarship in April of last year.

As we reported last week, businessman and top SU booster Adam Weitsman has said that Moore is currently his No. 1 target for name, image and likeness opportunities in the 2024 cycle. Multiple recruiting services rate Moore as a top-80 national prospect.

From my own personal perspective, I think that Syracuse basketball coaches are in a solid position to potentially make Elijah Moore their first commitment in the junior class, but you never fully know with this recruiting stuff. Stay tuned.