Syracuse Basketball: 4-star recruit has skills on both ends that ‘really pop’

Syracuse basketball (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
Syracuse basketball (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)

National recruiting analysts and scouts are praising Syracuse basketball target London Jemison for his savvy skillset on both ends of the floor.

The 6-foot-8 Jemison, a four-star small forward, is a fast-rising 2025 prospect from Connecticut. He is ranked just inside the top 125 nationally in his class by 247Sports, and my sense is that Jemison could be poised to jump in the 2025 ratings down the line.

The Orange coaching staff offered a scholarship to him in late September. Not too long ago, Jemison told scouting service Pro Insight that Syracuse basketball was among the schools that he has been in regular contact with these days.

A native of Bloomfield, Conn., Jemison holds around 15 offers and is a junior at the powerhouse St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn., which is a member of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (“NEPSAC”). He previously played at Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford, Conn.

Recruiting experts say that Syracuse basketball target London Jemison shines on offense and defense.

Besides the ‘Cuse, Jemison’s offer sheet includes college squads such as Villanova, Xavier, Providence, Virginia, Temple, George Mason, Boston University, Rice, Saint Joseph’s, Rhode Island, Yale, Fairfield, UMass and Brown.

Per his interview with Pro Insight, Big 12 Conference juggernaut Kansas, which won the 2022 NCAA Tournament, has reached out to Jemison.

Last Friday, at the 2023 National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Conn., Jemison caught the attention of analysts and scouts. At that event, St. Thomas More defeated the Hargrave Military Academy from Chatham, Va., by a final count of 78-62, according to media reports.

In that win, per a box score provided by the X account of The HS Circuit, Jemison logged 25 minutes. He scored18 points, and Jemison had one rebound and one assist as well. Shooting-wise, Jemison was 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line.

Following that output, the X account Point Guard Eyes said that Jemison’s “tools really pop,” adding that this Syracuse basketball recruit is athletic, has good ball-handling skills, can finish well around the rim, is unselfish and has “great defensive versatility.”

Analyst Zach Welch of basketball outlet Pro Insight recently wrote a piece where he examined numerous top-flight prospects throughout the New England region, and he included Jemison in this piece.

"Welch wrote in part that Jemison “has a tight handle and a wide array of counters at his disposal. While he can get to the rim, he thrives as a tough shot-maker from the mid-range and has shown some prowess from behind the arc, as well. Beyond this, he’s a savvy off-ball mover and a selfless offensive player with good vision. We’ll look to see how he grows defensively, but he has all the tools to make an impact on both ends.”"

Jemison said on social media in early May that he would move from the 2024 class to the 2025 cycle. In the most recent AAU season over the spring and summer, he played for the 17U team of the Boston-based Expressions Elite in Nike’s EYBL league.

A member of Expressions Elite’s 16U squad in recent months was 2025 four-star point guard Nigel James, who picked up a ‘Cuse offer in late August and took an official visit to Syracuse basketball in mid-September. The 6-foot James is a junior at Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y.