Syracuse basketball among those recruiting 4-star PG Nigel James hardest

Syracuse basketball coaches are prioritizing four-star point guard Nigel James in the 2025 class, according to media reports and recruiting experts.

The 6-foot James, a fast-rising prospect in the junior cycle who remains underrated on a national scale in this class, took an official visit to the Hill in mid-September. In late August, the Orange coaching staff offered a scholarship to James, around the time that he competed in the team’s annual Elite Camp.

More recently, on October 11, top scout Andrew Slater and others said on X that the ‘Cuse coaching staff was among those schools in attendance for Nigel James during an open gym at his New York high school.

Per his X page, James was recently offered by Big East Conference member Creighton. His full offer sheet also includes Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, 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.

Four-star junior point guard Nigel James says several suitors are recruiting him hard, including Syracuse basketball.

In a recent article, Zach Smart of nychoops.rivals.com, who extensively covers high-school basketball and recruiting throughout New York state, wrote that college programs currently recruiting James the hardest include Syracuse basketball, Providence, Marquette and Rutgers.

UConn, the defending national champion, is showing interest in Nigel James, according to Smart’s piece.

College basketball insider Adam Zagoria, on X, said that James has taken recent official visits to Rutgers and Providence, in addition to the Orange. James plans to officially visit Marquette on October 27, per Zagoria.

I’ve been told in the past that other potential official-visit destinations for James could include Wake Forest and Oklahoma State. His recruitment could have a way to go, but James has said he has a high interest in Syracuse basketball.

Nigel James, who was born in New York City and grew up in the town of Huntington on Long Island, spent his sophomore year at the Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass. In the 2023-24 campaign, as a junior, he is competing for 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”).

Long Island Lutheran, this coming season, is expected to compete for the NIBC title as well as the high-school national championship, which will be decided next spring at the annual GEICO Nationals.

As I’ve outlined several times of late, the Crusaders will face a tough 2023-24 schedule, and ‘Cuse fans should have an opportunity to watch James play on national broadcasts throughout this upcoming term.

This spring and summer on the AAU circuit, Nigel James was a big stock riser as he competed at a strong level for the 16U team of the Boston-based Expressions Elite in Nike’s EYBL league.

When 247Sports updated its 2025 national rankings not too long ago, he entered the top 100 across the country. Other recruiting services have him lower. Personally, I contend that Nigel James is a top-50 overall player in the junior cycle.