In recent years, Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball teams, including Syracuse, have scored numerous top-flight players at the high school level.
Certainly, in recruiting, sometimes things work out as planned, and sometimes they don't. A five-star signee can end up a bust, while a three-star guy or even an unranked prep prospect can ultimately thrive in college. That's the nature of recruiting.
In recent seasons, the ACC has lagged behind other leagues such as the Big Ten and the Southeastern Conference as it relates to March Madness invites, although the ACC did seem to somewhat turn a corner in the most recent Big Dance this past spring.
With heavyweights such as Duke and North Carolina in the mix, along with surging contenders like Louisville, Miami and Virginia, the ACC has won its fair share of recruiting battles over the past decade (Syracuse has even landed two five-star players since the 2021 class).
Here are the ACC's biggest hoops recruiting wins over the last 10 years, starting with the 2025 cycle.
2025 Class
Cameron Boozer, Duke power forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 3 overall
Boozer was twice named the national player of the year while in high school. Then, as a freshman with the Blue Devils, he also picked up national player of the year honors, and Duke reached the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Boozer was the No. 3 overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies at last month's NBA Draft.
2024 Class
Cooper Flagg, Duke forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 1 overall
As a senior in prep school, Flagg was the country's top player and won a national championship. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, Flagg went to the Final Four and scored national player of the year honors. The No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg was the league's rookie of the year this past term.
Donnie Freeman, Syracuse/St. John's forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 13 overall
Freeman joined the 'Cuse as the program's highest-rated commit dating back to Carmelo Anthony in the 2002-03 campaign. His two stanzas with the Orange were plagued by injuries, and he transferred to St. John's this offseason. Unfortunately for Freeman, he recently suffered another injury that will force him to miss the entire 2026-27 season with the Red Storm.
2023 Class
Elliot Cadeau, North Carolina/Michigan point guard
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 11 overall
Cadeau, as a prep recruit, won a national championship before heading to UNC (Syracuse was also in pursuit of him). His two seasons with the Tar Heels were okay, but Cadeau burst onto the national scene this past season, helping lead Michigan to the national title. He was named the most outstanding player of the 2026 Final Four.
2022 Class
J.J. Starling, Notre Dame/Syracuse combo guard
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 22 overall
Starling, who hails from Central New York, was a McDonald's All-American as a senior and ended up at Notre Dame for his freshman season, a huge recruiting win for the Fighting Irish. He was named to the ACC's All-Freshman team at Notre Dame and then transferred to his hometown college squad, Syracuse, for the next three campaigns. As a junior with the Orange, he averaged 17.8 points per game.
2021 Class
Paolo Banchero, Duke power forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 2 overall
In high school, Banchero was the MaxPreps national junior of the year, and as a senior, he was a McDonald's All-American. With the Blue Devils, he received ACC rookie of the year honors and was a third-team All-American. The No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Banchero has averaged at least 20 points per game in all four of his pro seasons, and he's reached the playoffs three times.
2020 Class
Scottie Barnes, Florida State power forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 7 overall
As a senior in high school, Barnes was a first-team All-American and competed for one of the best teams in prep history, Florida powerhouse Montverde, which went 25–0 and destroyed opponents all season long. In his one term with the Seminoles, Barnes was the ACC's freshman of the year and its sixth man of the year. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors, becoming the league's rookie of the year in 2022 and named to the All-Defensive second team in 2026.
2019 Class
Cole Anthony, North Carolina guard
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 4 overall
Anthony was an All-American as a senior in high school before heading to UNC. For the Tar Heels as a college rookie, he resided on the All-ACC third team and the league's All-Freshman squad. Selected by the Orange Magic at No. 15 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Anthony has played for Orlando and the Milwaukee Bucks.
2018 Class
Zion Williamson, Duke power forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 5 overall
Williamson was a McDonald's All-American as a senior in high school. With the Blue Devils, he was national player of the year, as Duke went to the Elite Eight of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, Williamson has averaged at least 21 points per game in each of his six pro seasons, but the two-time All-Star has been hampered by injuries.
2017 Class
Lonnie Walker, Miami shooting guard
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 16 overall
Walker was a stellar recruiting triumph for the Hurricanes, which beat out schools including Syracuse to prevail for the McDonald's All-American from Reading, Pa. He was named to the ACC's All-Freshman team and then was the No. 18 overall selection by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2018 NBA Draft. He played for the Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers over seven NBA seasons before spending the last two campaigns with pro clubs overseas.
2016 Class
Jayson Tatum, Duke forward
247Sports Composite rankings: 5 stars and No. 4 overall
Tatum, as a senior in high school, was the national player of the year and a McDonald's All-American. In his one season with the Blue Devils, he was named to the All-ACC third team and the league's All-Freshman team. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, Tatum won a world title in Boston in 2024 and has also been named to the All-NBA first team on four separate occasions.
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