Syracuse Basketball: New 4-star PG recruit eyes national championship

New Syracuse basketball recruiting target Curtis Givens III from Memphis, Tenn., a 2024 four-star point guard, is suiting up during his junior season for a powerhouse high-school program that also features two other prospects who previously had been offered by the Orange.

The 6-foot-3 Givens, a consensus four-star, top-100 player in the 2024 cycle, attends the juggernaut Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., after competing for the Memphis University School a campaign ago.

According to many high-school hoops analysts, the Montverde Academy (23-2) is likely going to be the No. 1 overall seed at the 2023 GEICO Nationals in Florida, which will occur from late March to early April, ultimately crowing a national champion at the high-school level.

The Montverde Academy figures to be the favorite to cut down the nets in 2023, and the Eagles have captured three national titles in a row.

Syracuse basketball recently offered a scholarship to 2024 four-star PG Curtis Givens III.

The stacked Montverde Academy line-up includes Givens, a relatively new Orange recruit, as well as 2023 five-star power forward Kwame Evans Jr. and 2024 five-star power forward/center Derik Queen, both of whom landed ‘Cuse offers in October of 2021.

Evans, an Oregon commit, and Queen, who appears to be focused on other suitors these days, are two of the stars for the Montverde Academy, while Givens averages about 15 minutes per game for the Eagles.

With the Montverde Academy set to play in the upcoming 2023 GEICO Nationals, it’s likely that new Orange target Givens will face off against several former Syracuse basketball recruits.

Experts, when discussing teams that may get invites to the 2023 GEICO Nationals, have mentioned squads including Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., the Link Academy in Branson, Mo., the Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan., Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., and the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., among others.

Two stars at Prolific Prep are 2023 four-star point guard Aden Holloway, who is committed to Auburn, and 2024 five-star big man Yves Missi, who recently pledged to Baylor. Both held ‘Cuse offers.

A standout at the Link Academy is 2024 five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau, who had Syracuse basketball in his top six before committing to North Carolina in late December.

Former Orange target Matas Buzelis, a 2023 five-star guard/wing who is headed to the NBA’s G-League Ignite, competes for Sunrise Christian.

Syracuse basketball 2025 four-star target Kiyan Anthony recently said he was transferring to Long Island Lutheran from Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y. Media reports have indicated that Anthony won’t play in games for Long Island Lutheran until next season.

AZ Compass’ roster includes 2024 five-star wing Vyctorius Miller, who according to several recruiting services does have an offer from the ‘Cuse. That being said, recent reports state that Miller is focused on other schools.