Syracuse basketball 4-star commit, 5-star targets to battle on national TV

Do you want to watch Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Donnie Freeman, 2025 priority target Kiyan Anthony and other Orange recruits play on national television in mid-January of next year?

No problem. Consider it done.

The 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic, annually the top showcase in high-school hoops, will take place from January 11 to January 15 of next year in Springfield, Mass., and this loaded event will feature a variety of highly rated prospects who have recruiting ties to Syracuse basketball. Fun things.

Freeman, a four-star power forward who verbally committed to the ‘Cuse in May, and Anthony, a four-star shooting guard who was set to officially visit the Hill this weekend, are just two of numerous players across several recruiting cycles who are expected to suit up in the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic and hold scholarship offers from the Orange coaching staff.

Looking at key match-ups involving Syracuse basketball recruits in next year’s Spalding Hoophall Classic.

Per media reports and social media posts, teams competing in the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic that Orange hoops recruiting enthusiasts will want to monitor include Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., and Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.

All of these aforementioned squads are preseason top-15 national teams ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 campaign, per top high-school hoops analyst Samad Hines.

Freeman is spending his senior year at IMG. Long Island Lutheran’s roster features both Anthony and 2025 four-star point guard Nigel James, who took an official visit to Syracuse basketball in mid-September.

Imahri Wooten, a 2026 four-star guard, recently took an unofficial visit to the Orange and picked up a scholarship offer from the ‘Cuse. He is a sophomore at AZ Compass Prep.

Derek Dixon, a 2025 four-star combo guard, also recently went on an official visit to Syracuse basketball. He is a standout junior at Gonzaga.

The St. Paul VI roster in 2023-24 includes 2026 five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. and 2026 point guard Anthony Brown. Both have landed Orange scholarship offers, and Smith said in a recent interview that he’s interested in visiting the ‘Cuse at some point in the future.

According to a post on X from Hines, a slate of Spalding Hoophall Classic games on January 15 will all air on ESPNU. Multiple Syracuse basketball recruits will play that day on national broadcasts, which is awesome.

Those encounters include:
•St. Paul VI versus Christopher Columbus High School in Miami (Christopher Columbus is No. 10 in Hines’ preseason top 25), 1 pm

•AZ Compass Prep versus Long Island Lutheran, 3 pm

•IMG versus the Link Academy in Branson, Mo. (Link is No. 2 in Hines’ preseason top 25 and won the 2023 GEICO Nationals), 5 pm

Per the 2024 Spalding Hoophall Classic Web site as well as an article from MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens, here are some other games involving Syracuse basketball recruits at this stacked showcase:

January 13
•Christopher Columbus versus Long Island Lutheran, 7/7:30 pm

January 14
•Gonzaga versus Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City, N.J., 10:30 am

•IMG versus the Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan. (Sunrise is No. 11 in Hines’ preseason top 25), 4 pm

•AZ Compass Prep versus the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind. (La Lumiere is No. 8 in Hines’ preseason top 25), 5:30 pm