As Syracuse basketball coaches continue to pursue a range of four-star and five-star recruits in the 2024 and 2025 classes, the Orange will want to get some of these targets on the Hill for official visits in the coming months.
In the 2024 cycle, the ‘Cuse has two verbal commitments, and the staff continues to recruit several other top-flight players in this class. Switching to the 2025 cycle, in recent months, the Orange has offered five new scholarships, to go along with several prospects that it had previously offered.
A couple of points here. Beginning on July 1 of this year, the NCAA will allow high-school players to take an unlimited number of official visits, which could shift how Syracuse basketball coaches are recruiting certain players.
For the 2025 class, the contact period opens up on June 15, meaning college coaches at that time can initiate direct communication with prospects in this cycle. We could see more offers doled out by the Orange coaching staff to 2025 players in the near future. Also for 2025 prospects, on August 1 of their junior years, they can start taking official visits.
Here are some Syracuse basketball recruits we hope will take official visits to SU in the future.
2024 Class
•Four-star power forward Donnie Freeman took an official visit to the ‘Cuse in April and verbally committed to the Orange last month. Might he take another OV to the Hill? We’ll see.
•Four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore went on an official visit to Syracuse basketball last October and verbally committed to the ‘Cuse this past January. Like Freeman, Moore could officially visit SU again.
•Four-star guard Jalil Bethea is perhaps the Orange’s top target in this cycle who hasn’t already verbally committed. He officially visited the ‘Cuse last fall and has said he make take another trip to Central New York. In a recent interview with On3, Bethea said that he plans to officially visit both Miami and Kansas. Kentucky is also showing interest.
•Fast-rising Mikey Lewis, a four-star point guard, was offered by Syracuse basketball in late April. He has said more than once of late that he wants to visit the Hill.
•Four-star center Patrick Ngongba II, an ultra-hot prospect in this cycle, was offered by the Orange in late April. He is AAU teammates with Freeman. Ngongba, per media reports, has official visits scheduled to 2023 national champion UConn and Duke. He has said in the past that he would like to visit Syracuse basketball, so we’ll see if that occurs.
•Four-star wing Caleb Williams, who recently put SU in his final seven, was also offered by the Orange in late April and is AAU teammates of both Ngongba and Freeman. In a recent podcast interview, Freeman said that he thinks Williams may be eyeing a visit to Syracuse basketball at some point.
2025 Class
•Five-star point guard Tyler Jackson, offered by the Orange in late April, has said more than once that he wants to visit Syracuse basketball. As I noted in a recent column, Jackson recently told recruiting insider/scout Colby Giacubeno that he may take a visit to the Orange at some point in September, with another ‘Cuse 2025 priority recruit, four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony.
•The Orange offered 2025 five-star shooting guard Darryn Peterson in late April as well. He is a significant contender for the No. 1 national ranking in this cycle, and media reports have said that Peterson is eyeing visits to some blue-blood programs in the future.
•I could see four-star point guard Jerry Easter II taking a visit to the Hill soon. He’s nearing five stars and was offered by Syracuse basketball coaches last summer.
•Three other 2025 players who were recently offered by the Orange are fast-rising big man Nikola Bundalo, who will enter the national rankings for this class shortly, five-star forward Sadiq White and four-star wing Cam Ward. I’m hopeful these three talented prospects will choose to visit SU at some point.
•Another 2025 player that I’m really high on is four-star combo guard Darius Adams. He has already taken an unofficial visit to Syracuse basketball, when he competed in the team’s annual Elite Camp in late August of 2022 and received a ‘Cuse offer around that time. Hopefully, Adams will also take an official visit to the Orange in the future.