Ralph Scott, the fast-rising 2026 prospect from Bermuda, has a familiarity with Syracuse basketball that dates back to when he was a pre-teen.
Doug Reed, a Syracuse University alum in the class of 1984, is the founder and head coach of Team Hurricane, a grassroots program in Bermuda. He would take members of Team Hurricane to Jim Boeheim's annual summer camps.
Reed, in a telephone conversation with me this week from Bermuda, said that Scott went to the Boeheim camps for two summers as a pre-teen. The 6-foot-8 small forward, though, didn't necessarily have strong feelings one way or another about SU at the time.
Fast-forward to earlier this month, and the Orange staff offered a scholarship to the four-star Scott, who has jumped into the top 50 nationally of the 2026 rankings from multiple recruiting services.
Recently offered 4-star Ralph Scott has known about Syracuse basketball for a while now.
Reed acknowledged that it's a bit late in the 2026 recruiting cycle, but he wasn't surprised that his alma mater - and numerous other high-major teams - are vying for Scott, who played for Team Hurricane from the time that he was eight years old until he completed middle school.
"The kid is really talented," Reed said, adding that when Scott comes back to Bermuda, he will train with Team Hurricane. "He's a hard worker, very inquisitive. He's always asking, 'What can I do to get better?' Fluid athlete, 6-foot-8. He can score at all three levels. He has a motor about him. He likes to play fast. Great temperament, polite. Just a wonderful kid."
Scott, whose mom, Shanay Scott, is a well-known figure in Bermuda basketball, according to media reports, has only been in the United States for a couple of years. He first played at the Lakeland Christian School in Lakeland, Fla., before transferring to the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., a season ago.
In the 2024-25 campaign, as a junior, Ralph Scott was a standout for IMG's varsity gold team. More recently, in early June, Scott was anointed the MVP of the 2025 Basketball Without Borders Americas camp in San Salvador, El Salvador. He also played well during the latest AAU season for the Austin, Texas-based Jamal Shead Elite in the gold division of the Adidas 3SSB league.
These efforts, in turn, have fueled a surge in Scott's 2026 national rankings, as well as a bunch of newer scholarship offers, including from the 'Cuse. His full offer list includes other schools such as Georgia Tech, Stanford, Oregon, Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, UNLV, Mississippi State, LSU, Wichita State, South Florida and Georgetown, among others.
Reed says that Scott's grandfather helps him out with Team Hurricane. When the 'Cuse offered Scott, Reed says he was quite happy. He hopes that Scott will take a visit to Syracuse basketball at some point and give the program serious consideration in his recruitment.
While Reed stressed that he's not pushing Scott toward the Orange or any other college team, "Everyone knows where I want him to go," he says.
Reed told me that Scott is an excellent student and has high character. We'll have to see if Syracuse basketball emerges as a significant contender for Scott, but he's the type of young man I want representing my alma mater.