Syracuse Basketball: 4-star, 5-star recruits on country’s No. 2, No. 3 teams

As high-school hoops teams begin their 2023-24 terms this week or in the near future, several squads that include Syracuse basketball recruits find themselves highly ranked in a new preseason top 25.

Jordan Divens, the MaxPreps national basketball editor, recently published his preseason top 25 as the 2023-24 campaign gets underway, and I’m counting at least five groups in these rankings whose rosters have recruiting ties to the Orange.

Two of these units reside at No. 2 and No. 3 across the country, and all of the squads that I’m discussing here will significantly vie for state championships and possibly a national title in the season-ending GEICO Nationals, an annual event that will transpire in the spring of 2024.

The five teams that we’ll look at in this column are Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C., Richmond Heights High School in Richmond Heights, Ohio, and Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.

Let’s review where Syracuse basketball targets have arrived in preseason team rankings.

Long Island Lutheran, No. 2
The Crusaders play in the loaded 10-team National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (“NIBC”). The talented Long Island Lutheran backcourt, in 2023-24, will feature Syracuse basketball 2025 priority recruits Kiyan Anthony, a four-star shooting guard, and Nigel James, a four-star point guard. Both have officially visited the Hill.

St. Paul VI, No. 3
This powerhouse team from the Washington, D.C., area includes two players who hold scholarship offers from the ‘Cuse coaching staff, and they are 2026 five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. and 2026 point guard Anthony Brown. Smith, a top-20 national prospect in the sophomore cycle, has said he’s interested in visiting Syracuse basketball at some point.

Myers Park, No. 8
The North Carolina juggernaut is led by 2025 four-star forward Sadiq White, who was offered by the Orange in late April and took an unofficial visit to the ‘Cuse in mid-September.

Richmond Heights, No. 10
One of the standouts for Richmond Heights is 2025 four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones, who picked up a Syracuse basketball scholarship offer in late August and has expressed an interest in taking a visit to the Hill.

Gonzaga, No. 11
Another excellent program from the talent-rich D.C. market is Gonzaga. A talented junior there is 2025 four-star combo guard Derek Dixon, a top-75 overall player who was offered by the Orange on June 15 and officially visited Syracuse basketball not too long ago.