Syracuse Basketball: Fast-rising 4-star PG to visit for Orange’s Elite Camp

Nigel James from New York state, who had a stellar spring and summer on the AAU circuit, plans to take an unofficial visit to Syracuse basketball this Saturday to compete in the team’s Elite Camp, according to a recent interview he gave with a recruiting expert.

The 6-foot James, a fast-rising four-star point guard in the 2025 class, recently discussed the latest in his recruitment with noted analyst/scout Colby Giacubeno. In that interview, James confirmed that he will make a trip to the Hill for the Orange’s annual Elite Camp.

I’m excited about this development. I’ve kept a close eye on James in recent months as he starred for the 16U group of the Boston-based Expressions Elite in Nike’s EYBL league.

James earned high marks from analysts and scouts for his performances with Expressions, including at last month’s Peach Jam tournament in North Augusta, S.C.

Nigel James, a 2025 four-star PG, will attend the upcoming Syracuse basketball Elite Camp.

James, who was born in New York City and grew up in the town of Huntington on Long Island, recently decided to transfer for his junior year from the Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., to the powerhouse Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., which is a member of the loaded 10-team National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (“NIBC”).

At Long Island Lutheran in the upcoming 2023-24 campaign, James will play alongside several excellent high-school prospects, including 2025 four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony, who received a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse last November and is a priority target for the Orange in this cycle.

By the way, as I’ve noted in several columns over the past week or so, Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Donnie Freeman, a 6-foot-9, four-star power forward, recently said that he would transfer for his senior season from St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., to another NIBC program, the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

In his interview with Giacubeno, James said that he grew up watching the ‘Cuse a lot, and he noted that his new Long Island Lutheran teammate Kiyan Anthony is the son of Orange legend Carmelo Anthony, who won a national championship with Syracuse basketball during the 2002-03 term.

I’m hopeful that the ‘Cuse coaching staff will offer James following the team’s Elite Camp.

According to recruiting services, James’ offer sheet includes schools such as Seton Hall, George Mason, Iowa, Marquette, UMass, Minnesota, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Southern California, Wake Forest, Xavier, Manhattan, Saint Joseph’s and UAB, among others.

Per a recent article from Zach Smart on nychoops.rivals.com, other teams showing interest in James include 2023 national champion UConn, Villanova, Boston College and Georgetown.

James told Giacubeno that, these days, he’s hearing the most from Rutgers, Providence, Marquette and Virginia Tech. The 2025 player also mentioned Marquette and Wake Forest as possible visit destinations.

In mid-July, MADE Hoops updated its 2025 national ratings, and James made a big leap, rising 19 spots to No. 75 overall in this cycle. ESPN has him as four stars and a top-25 point guard in the rising-junior class, although I maintain that James continues to be vastly under-ranked on a national scale.

In late July, I published a story stating that 2025 four-star center Ben Winker also plans to attend the Orange’s upcoming Elite Camp.

The 6-foot-10 Winker is a rising junior at the Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis. In the most recent grassroots basketball season, he played for the 16U squad of the St. Louis-based Bradley Beal Elite on the EYBL circuit.