Syracuse Basketball: Melo’s son, Elijah Moore on preseason top-25 teams

While the 2022-23 high-school season only recently ended, it’s never too early to look ahead to the next term as it relates to Syracuse basketball commits and recruiting targets, right?

Well, I recognize that any discussion of the 2023-24 stanza at this juncture is super early, but in any event, multiple Syracuse basketball recruits – and one commit – reside on high-school squads that are deemed as nationally ranked groups for 2023-24.

High-school hoops analyst and scout Samad Hines, one of the best in the business, recently published his way-too-early top 25 for the next high-school basketball campaign.

I’m counting at least five teams in this top 25 whose rosters have recruiting connections to the Orange.

Syracuse basketball recruits and commits are on preseason top-25 squads.

On Hines’ list, the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., is No. 3, Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., is No. 5, St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., is No. 11, Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y., is No. 15, and Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, N.Y., is No. 24.

As far as ‘Cuse pledges go, one of the stars for Cardinal Hayes is Syracuse basketball 2024 four-star commit Elijah Moore, one of the top shooting guards across the country. The 6-foot-4 Moore verbally committed to the Orange this past January.

On the Montverde Academy roster is ‘Cuse 2024 target Curtis Givens III, a four-star point guard and a top-60 national prospect. Orange coaches offered a scholarship to 6-foot-3 Givens last February.

Long Island Lutheran had a tremendous 2022-23 campaign, getting an invite, like the Montverde Academy, to the prestigious 2023 GEICO Nationals. Both of these groups are also part of the loaded 10-member National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (“NIBC”).

In 2023-24, 2025 four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony will be a junior at Long Island Lutheran, after having transferred there from Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y.

The 6-foot-3 Anthony, who is the son of Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony, recently vaulted into the top 60 overall of his class, per On3. Melo’s son received a ‘Cuse offer in November of 2022.

This past stanza, St. John’s College High School was a nationally ranked squad for much of the season, and one of its star players is Syracuse basketball 2024 four-star recruit Donnie Freeman.

The 6-foot-9 power forward, offered by the Orange in August of 2021, just took an official visit to the Hill, and that trip went quite well. Freeman is a top-30 national player in the junior class.

Last but certainly not least, Archbishop Stepinac had a nice 2022-23 term, finishing runner-up in New York state’s 2023 Class AA Tournament of Champions event.

The Crusaders also won the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association (“CHSAA”) “AA” intersectional title. Archbishop Stepinac’s star player is All-American Boogie Fland, a 2024 five-star point guard who was offered by Syracuse basketball this past January.

The 6-foot-3 Fland, who holds many offers, including from several blue-blood programs, recently said in an interview that he’s going to keep an eye on how the Orange staff, led by new head coach Adrian Autry, does this year.