Syracuse Basketball: 4-star PG who eyed possible visit discloses final six

Syracuse basketball is out of the running for 2024 four-star point guard Mikey Lewis.

Recent media reports, including one from On3 national analyst Joe Tipton, stated that the 6-foot-3 Lewis is down to six finalists, and they are Illinois, 2022 national champion Kansas, LSU, Ole Miss, 2023 NCAA Tournament runner-up San Diego State and St. Mary’s.

While I don’t have any inside intel on Lewis’ recruitment, I was a little surprised that the Orange didn’t make his top six. The ‘Cuse coaching staff offered him a scholarship in late April, and Lewis said on several occasions this spring and summer that he was eyeing a potential official visit to the Hill at some point.

Tipton writes that Lewis has taken an official visit to St. Mary’s, and the fast-rising point guard also has official visits planned to Illinois on September 16 and to LSU on September 23.

Syracuse basketball didn’t make the final six of 2024 four-star point guard Mikey Lewis.

Lewis had a breakout spring and summer on the AAU circuit, as he was one of the leading scorers in the 17U division while competing for the Oakland, Calif.-based Oakland Soldiers in Nike’s EYBL league.

As a junior, he played for Accelerated Prep in Lakewood, Colo. However, during his senior year in the upcoming 2023-24 campaign, Lewis has transferred to the powerhouse Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif., which this past spring participated in the prestigious GEICO Nationals.

Based on his strong performances in grassroots basketball of late, Rivals.com recently moved Lewis into the top 50 nationally, while several other recruiting services place him inside the top 80 across the country in his class. Additionally, multiple recruiting Web sites rate Lewis as a top-15 point guard/combo guard/shooting guard in the 2024 cycle.

Besides Syracuse basketball, his offer sheet also has included Mike Hopkins-led Washington, Kansas, Ole Miss, Wichita State, LSU, California, TCU, Providence, Arizona State, Colorado State, Illinois, Washington State, San Diego State, St. Mary’s and Wyoming, among others.

To date, the Orange has two verbal commitments in its 2024 class, which is rated in the top 10 nationally these days. Those pledges are from four-star power forward Donnie Freeman of Washington, D.C., and four-star shooting guard Elijah Moore of New York City.

With Lewis off of the board for the ‘Cuse, my sense is that the lone remaining top target for Syracuse basketball in the rising-senior cycle is five-star point guard/shooting guard Jalil Bethea from the Philadelphia area, who has the Orange in his top five and will reportedly take a second official visit to the SU campus in September.

It’s also important to note here that the Syracuse basketball 2023-24 roster features numerous guards, none of whom are seniors.