Syracuse Basketball: 4-star commit Elijah Moore is top shooter in his class

At a recent AAU event, as I noted in a separate column, Syracuse basketball 2024 four-star commit Elijah Moore balled out, earning high praise from national analysts and scouts.

The 6-foot-4 Moore, a talented and fast-rising shooting guard in the junior cycle, continues to play at a high level this spring in grassroots basketball. Recently, he suited up at the Southern Jam Fest in Hampton, Va.

Elijah Moore, who verbally committed to the Orange in late January over other finalists Alabama, Arkansas, Miami and Oklahoma State, is one of the stars for the Bronx, N.Y.-based Wiz Kids in the Adidas 3SSB league.

Various experts deemed Moore one of the standouts at the recently held Southern Jam Fest. Similar sentiments have rung true about Elijah Moore during other AAU competitions this spring, including when he played for the Wiz Kids in late April amid NCAA live periods where ‘Cuse head coach Adrian Autry was in attendance to watch his 2024 pledge.

Syracuse basketball 2024 four-star commit Elijah Moore is much more than a long-range shooter, though.

In recent months, both with the Wiz Kids and during his excellent junior year at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, Moore has displayed a broader all-around game that extends way beyond the perimeter.

Analysts and scouts note his athleticism and versatility in scoring from the mid-range and around the rim, solid defensive instincts and rebounding at the guard position, and an enhanced ability to facilitate for others.

That being said, Moore keeps on showing why he’s perhaps the premier shooter from 3-point land across the country in the junior cycle.

In a recent article, Rivals.com analyst Jason Jordan highlighted 10 prospects who stood out at the Southern Jam Fest, including Elijah Moore.

"Here’s what Jordan wrote about the Syracuse basketball commit. “Moore lived up to his billing as, arguably, the top marksman in the class, connecting from everywhere NBA 3-point line extended. Moore’s ability as an efficient catch-and-shoot marksman was unmatched this weekend, but he also showed capabilities as a playmaker. … That said, Moore will see time as a freshman at Syracuse because of his ability to extend the defense and in that regard he’s one of the best.”"

Presently, multiple recruiting services rate Elijah Moore as a top-75 overall player and a top-20 shooting guard in the 2024 cycle. Respectfully, I disagree. He’s underrated.

Moore showed in the 2022-23 campaign for Cardinal Hayes, and also so far this spring on the AAU circuit, that he’s a top-50 national prospect, if not higher than that.

As a junior, Elijah Moore helped lead Cardinal Hayes to the New York “AA” Archdiocesan tournament title. Cardinal Hayes is forecast as a preseason top-25 team ahead of 2023-24, when Moore will be a senior and should contend for All-America honors.