Syracuse basketball 4-star, 5-star targets to suit up in loaded Vegas event

A Syracuse basketball target from Baltimore, and another one from the west coast, are expected to compete at a loaded showcase event in mid-October in Las Vegas, according to a media report.

Per high-school hoops analyst Samad Hines, the 2023 Border League tournament is scheduled for October 13 to October 15 at various locations in and around the Sin City.

According to Hines, the Border League showcase will include various divisions, with some Orange recruiting connections a part of this prestigious tournament. Hines writes that the full schedule and brackets of the Border League tourney are expected to be released in the near future.

Let’s take a look at Syracuse basketball recruiting ties to a top high-school tournament.

The Border League’s “top flight” bracket, per Hines, will feature some powerhouse programs such as the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., as well as Prolific Prep in Napa Valley, Calif.

Former ‘Cuse targets Derik Queen, a 2024 five-star big man, Robert Wright III, a 2024 four-star point guard, and Curtis Givens III, a 2024 four-star point guard, suit up for a loaded Montverde roster. Wright is verbally committed to Baylor.

Mikey Lewis, a 2024 four-star point guard, is a former Syracuse basketball recruit who plays for Prolific Prep.

According to Hines, another division of the Border League will be the “super sixteen.” Among the squads anticipated to play in this bracket is the Southern California Academy in Northridge, Calif., along with the Atlanta-based professional league Overtime Elite.

A standout for the Southern California Academy is 2025 four-star combo guard DeMarco Johnson. The 6-foot-3 Johnson received a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse coaching staff in late July.

In grassroots basketball, he has played for both the Oakland, Calif.-based Oakland Soldiers in Nike’s EYBL league as well as the Los Angeles-based Elev8 Elite, an Adidas-sponsored program.

Johnson, who has said he has high interest in taking a visit to the Orange at some point in the coming months, recently checked in at No. 89 nationally, No. 14 at point guard and No. 10 in California within the junior cycle when 247Sports updated its 2025 national rankings.

Tyler Jackson, a 2025 five-star point guard who landed a ‘Cuse offer in late April, is spending his junior year with Overtime Elite. He was a standout as a sophomore at the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore.

The 6-foot-3 Jackson, who also has said he may take an official visit to the Hill at some point, recently earned high marks from national analysts and scouts for his performance at Overtime Elite’s Pro Day in Atlanta.

In early July, he led the Baltimore-based Team Thrill to the 16U title in the Under Armour Association league (“UAA”) on the AAU circuit.

When I penned this column, within the 2025 cycle, Jackson was rated at No. 16 overall, No. 3 at point guard and No. 4 in Georgia, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.