Syracuse basketball is off to quick start pursuing 4-star, 5-star sophomores

Syracuse basketball coaches are aiming big with their recruiting efforts in the 2026 class.

To date, I’m aware of at least seven prospects in this cycle who have received scholarship offers from the Orange coaching staff. Per media reports, the ‘Cuse also appears to have shown interest in several more players from the 2026 class as well.

This is encouraging. For one, college coaches can’t initiate direct communication with prospects in this cycle until June 15 of next year. High-school sophomores can take unofficial visits at this time, but they can’t go on official visits until the summer of 2024.

Even with such restrictions, Syracuse basketball coaches have doled out offers to 2026 players who come from New York, the Washington, D.C., market, the west coast and elsewhere. It’s exciting.

Let’s look at those 2026 prospects who have landed Syracuse basketball scholarship offers.

Imahri Wooten
Last weekend, this four-star guard took an unofficial visit to the Hill, and he has picked up an Orange offer. The 6-foot-5 Wooten hails from Troy, N.Y., but he will suit up as a sophomore at the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., which is a member of the loaded 10-team National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (“NIBC”). Wooten starred as a freshman at Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, and he is a top-40 national prospect.

Jordan Smith Jr.
The five-star shooting guard was offered by the ‘Cuse in early May. The 6-foot-3 Smith, a top-20 overall player in the 2026 class, attends the St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., a program where the Syracuse basketball coaching staff has strong recruiting ties. Smith said in a recent interview that he has interest in visiting the Orange at some point in the future.

Deron Rippey Jr.
The fast-rising, four-star point guard is from Brooklyn, N.Y. The ‘Cuse offered him in late August. A top-25 national prospect in 2026, the 6-foot-2 Rippey is a sophomore at the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. Rippey is interested in taking an unofficial visit to Syracuse basketball in the coming months, his dad has told me. Not too long ago, the Orange coaching staff was in attendance during an open gym at Blair to watch Rippey.

Neiko Mundey
The ‘Cuse offered this three-star point guard toward the end of August, around the time that he took an unofficial visit to the SU campus to compete in the Orange’s annual Elite Camp. The 6-foot-3 Mundey is a sophomore at the Shabach Christian Academy in Landover, Md. When 247Sports published its initial 2026 national rankings, he arrived inside the top 60 nationally. In mid-September, the ‘Cuse coaching staff was present during an open gym at Shabach for Mundey.

Maximo Adams
The elite small forward received a Syracuse basketball scholarship offer this past February. The 6-foot-6 Adams is a sophomore at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, Calif. When I wrote this article, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite had Adams as five stars and No. 20 overall in the 2026 cycle, although other recruiting services place him inside the top 20 nationally.

Prince-Alexander Moody
The underrated shooting guard/small forward goes to Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md. Syracuse basketball offered the 6-foot-5 Moody around the time that he played in the team’s Elite Camp in late August. While I’ve yet to see him in 2026 national rankings, multiple recruiting Web sites, including ESPN and Prep Hoops, deem Moody as one of the top overall players in Maryland within his class.

Anthony Brown
This point guard also suited up in the Orange’s Elite Camp in late August and secured a ‘Cuse offer in the wake of that event. Like Smith, the 6-foot-1 Brown is a sophomore at St. Paul VI. At present, Brown doesn’t appear to be included in 2026 national rankings, however, as recruiting services update and expand these ratings, I envision Brown as a future four-star, top-100 national prospect.