Syracuse Basketball: Orange makes final list cut for 4-star City Rocks wing

Fast-rising 2024 four-star wing Damarius Owens, a native of Rochester, N.Y., has disclosed a top three that includes Syracuse basketball and plans to make a college decision this month, according to a media report.

As first reported by On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, the three finalists for the 6-foot-7 guard/forward are the Orange, Big East Conference member Marquette and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference squad Virginia Tech.

Syracuse basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Owens in April of 2022, and this past October, he took an official visit to the Hill. Last month, Owens made an official visit to Marquette.

Owens plans to announce his commitment sometime in February, per Tipton’s article. He is a junior at the Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, and competes on the AAU circuit with the Albany City Rocks in Nike’s EYBL league.

Syracuse basketball is a finalist for 2024 four-star wing Damarius Owens.

When I wrote this column, I had yet to see any analyst predictions for Owens on the main recruiting Web sites. Virginia Tech is a solid ACC group. Marquette, during the current 2022-23 season, is one of the Big East’s best teams and is presently ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press top-25 poll.

"Regarding the ‘Cuse, Owens said to Tipton, “Syracuse basketball has been apart of my life since I was little. It’s close to home, no more than a hour and a half. My dad worked at a furniture store that they promoted courtside and we’d always get to sit there and get put on the big screen so it was always fun to go there and watch games. I believe that their zone is a good fit for me considering my athleticism and length as well. When I was on my visit, they showed me a great time. I got to meet all of the staff and players, while also seeing the campus/dorms. The football game was one of the most exciting parts of the visit! The atmosphere and love that I got while I was there was incredible.”"

According to recruiting services, throughout his recruitment, Owens has landed more than a dozen high-major offers. Besides his three finalists, Owens’ offer sheet includes Xavier, Creighton, Alabama, Cincinnati, Dayton, St. Bonaventure, UMass, Siena, UMBC and Iona.

Owens is rated four stars by ESPN. Other recruiting Web sites rank him as three stars and in the top 150 of the junior class. He is also deemed to be a top-35 small forward/power forward in the 2024 cycle.

Personally, I think that Owens is undervalued in his class, although some national recruiting analysts have said of late that he could be poised for a rankings bump in the future.

The Orange recently landed its first verbal commitment in the 2024 cycle, when four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore from New York City pledged to the ‘Cuse. Syracuse basketball coaches are pursuing numerous other four-star and five-star players in this class.