Syracuse Basketball: Soaring 4-star wing with ‘Cuse in top 3 set to decide

Syracuse basketball coaches will know in the coming days whether they have landed Rochester, N.Y., native Damarius Owens, a 2024 four-star wing who visited the Hill last fall.

As first reported by the fabulous On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, the 6-foot-7 guard/forward plans to make his commitment announcement on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

Tipton previously reported not too long ago that Owens has a top three of Syracuse basketball, Big East Conference member Marquette and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference group Virginia Tech.

For what it’s worth, when I wrote this column on Saturday, I had yet to see any analyst predictions for Owens on the primary recruiting Web sites.

Syracuse basketball four-star target Damarius Owens is set to decide.

Most recently, Owens took an official visit to Marquette, which is having a strong 2022-23 season as one of the Big East’s top squads. The Golden Eagles are a significant contender to capture the conference’s regular-season title.

The ‘Cuse coaching staff offered a scholarship to Owens in April of 2022. Last October, he took an official visit to the Orange campus.

This is simply my own personal opinion, but my sense is that Owens’ decision is likely to come down to Syracuse basketball and Marquette, since he never took an official visit to Virginia Tech. But that is merely speculation on my part.

Owens is a standout junior at the Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. In grassroots basketball, he runs with the Albany City Rocks in Nike’s EYBL league.

According to recruiting services, throughout his recruiting process, Owens has picked up 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.

"In a separate recent piece by Tipton, Owens said of the Orange, “Syracuse basketball has been a part 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.”"

In the 2024 cycle, several recruiting Web sites rate Owens as three stars and in the top 150. ESPN has him as four stars, and some recruiting analysts have noted lately that Owens could be poised for a jump in the national rankings for the junior class.

In late January, Syracuse basketball got its first pledge in 2024, as four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore from New York City verbally committed to the ‘Cuse.

We’ll of course monitor the upcoming commitment announcement by Owens.