Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Marcus Adams Jr., brother visiting SU is huge

The AAU coach of Syracuse basketball four-star priority target Marcus Adams Jr. and his younger brother, new Orange recruit Maximo Adams, confirms to me that the Adams brothers will be traveling to the ‘Cuse for an unofficial visit in early March.

SyracuseOnSI publisher Mike McAllister first reported this development on Twitter.

The 6-foot-8 Marcus Adams Jr., a four-star small forward who has the option available to be either a member of the 2023 or the 2024 class, was offered by the Orange last December. He took an official visit to the Hill in late January.

More recently, earlier this month, Syracuse basketball coaches made their first scholarship offer in the 2026 cycle, to 6-foot-6 small forward Maximo Adams.

Both attend Narbonne High School in the Harbor City area of Los Angeles and suit up in AAU competitions for the Los Angeles-based Elev8 Elite, an Adidas-sponsored program.

Syracuse basketball will welcome 4-star Marcus Adams Jr. and his younger brother to Central New York.

Marcus Adams Jr. is a top-65 player in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports. In early February, he disclosed a top five of the ‘Cuse, Texas, UCLA, Oregon and Mississippi State.

But he has also said that his recruitment remains open, and he has recently landed newer scholarship offers from teams such as Mike Hopkins-led Washington, Tennessee, Kansas State, Xavier, Arkansas, defending national champion Kansas, Indiana, Southern California and UCLA.

In a recent interview with high-school hoops analyst Alex Karamanos, Adams said that as far as additional official visits are concerned, he is focused on UCLA, USC and Kansas.

Adams told Karamanos that he is also likely to drop another list of his top schools at some point in the near future.

Maximo Adams, who has had a solid freshman campaign in 2022-23 for Narbonne, has an offer sheet that includes Texas, Kansas State, Xavier, Oregon, Mississippi State, Missouri-Kansas City and California Baptist.

Cory DeSanti, the head coach of Elev8 Elite, has said to me that Marcus Adams Jr. is eyeing a possible college decision in mid-April.

DeSanti said that Marcus Adams Jr. and Maximo Adams plan to be in attendance at the Syracuse basketball game against Wake Forest on Saturday, March 4.

This Atlantic Coast Conference contest is the 2022-23 regular-season finale for the Orange, when the team will hold its senior day as well as a 20-year anniversary celebration of the 2003 national title squad.

For this unofficial visit to Syracuse basketball, DeSanti said that both Adams brothers will be joined by their parents and DeSanti on this trip.

DeSanti did add that official visits to Kansas, UCLA and USC are possibilities for Marcus Adams Jr., but nothing has been finalized at this time.

As I first reported in late January, businessman and philanthropist Adam Weitsman has offered a significant name, image and likeness deal to Adams, who during the 2022-23 stanza has proven one of the country’s leading scorers, averaging nearly 30 points per game.

I’ve seen some speculation floating around social media and in chat rooms that this unofficial visit for Marcus Adams Jr. is deemed a trip for him to discuss NIL with Weitsman. DeSanti says to me that this is not the case.

Lately, I’ve gone on record several times in stating that my personal belief is that the recruitment of Marcus Adams Jr. will ultimately come down to Syracuse basketball and UCLA.

If the ‘Cuse is able to have him and his younger brother on campus for an unofficial visit in early March before Adams takes potential official visits anywhere else, including to UCLA, I think that’s critically important to the Orange’s chances of prevailing for Adams.

Hopefully, on March 4, the JMA Wireless Dome will be electric. Syracuse basketball fans need to show a lot of love to Marcus Adams Jr., Maximo Adams and their parents while they’re on the Hill.