Syracuse Basketball: In new rankings, 5-star recruit named top N.J. player

In new rankings from recruiting service Prep Hoops, Syracuse basketball five-star target Darius Adams is rated the No. 1 prospect across the state of New Jersey within the 2025 class.

Prep Hoops recently said that it now ranks 127 high-school players in New Jersey within the sophomore recruiting cycle, and the 6-foot-3 combo guard has come out on top. That’s impressive, given that New Jersey certainly has its fair share of talented prospects.

Adams, a versatile point guard/shooting guard, had a lights-out recent season for Manasquan High School in Manasquan, N.J., helping lead his squad to its first-ever New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (“NJSIAA”) Group 2 tournament championship.

A member of the Bronx, N.Y.-based PSA Cardinals in Nike’s EYBL league on the AAU circuit, Adams received a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse in late August of 2022, when he made an unofficial visit to the Hill to compete in the team’s annual Elite Camp.

Syracuse basketball five-star recruit Darius Adams is the top-ranked 2025 prospect in New Jersey.

Manasquan had a terrific 2022-23 stanza, capturing the Shore Conference and Group 2 titles in New Jersey. And a big reason why the Warriors were one of the top high-school teams in the state during 2022-23 was the play of Adams.

Matt Manley reported in an article on shoresportsnetwork.com last month that as a sophomore, Adams averaged 20.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for Manasquan.

His recruiting process likely has a way to go, but already Adams has picked up early offers from Syracuse basketball, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Fordham.

In mid-June of this year, college coaches will be able to initiate direct communication with high-school players in the 2025 cycle. At that time, if not sooner, I fully expect Adams’ offer sheet to ballon.

In the past, he earned high praise from Jim Boeheim, although Boeheim has retired. I’m optimistic that new Orange head coach Adrian Autry and his staff will continue to pursue Adams.

Without question, he is a prolific-scoring guard and posseses an athletic, solid frame. Yet recruiting experts have noted that Adams also boasts good court vision, gets after it on the defensive end, rebounds well, and is a high-energy player who doesn’t let opponents out-hustle him.

Multiple recruiting services rate him as a four-star, top-25 national prospect and a top-five combo guard in his class. When I penned this column, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite had Adams as five stars, No. 21 nationally and No. 3 at combo guard within the 2025 cycle.