An NBA Draft analyst thinks that Syracuse basketball recruit Alex Constanza from Florida has an excellent skill set to ultimately flourish at the professional level.
The 6-foot-8 Constanza, a 2026 five-star guard/small forward, has the upside "to be a significant riser between now and the 2027 NBA Draft," analyst Nick Crain, the co-founder of the Draft Digest, recently wrote in a piece for si.com.
Why is Crain high on this Orange target? "Much of that is due to his on-court position and size," Crain says. "A combo forward, he’s able to play on the wing as a jumbo small forward, but also has the size and length to operate alongside a center in the frontcourt."
The analyst notes that Constanza excels in transition and scores with proficiency in the midrange and when driving to the hoop. Crain says that if Constanza continues to improve his 3-point shooting, "we’re talking about a very skilled three-level scorer moving forward."
Syracuse basketball 2026 5-star target Alex Constanza has pro potential.
Defensively, experts say, Constanza holds a lot of promise because of his size and agility. As a wing, he can defend multiple positions, whether guards out on the perimeter or forwards who are closer to the basket. The Draft Digest analyst says that Constanza "uses his body well."
Crain sums it up this way: "The next step for him (Constanza) will be choosing the college he wants to attend in order to give himself the best shot at being a one-and-done player at that level, which is certainly on the table."
Naturally, I hope that Alex picks the Orange when all is said and done. The 'Cuse staff offered a scholarship to Constanza in January of 2024. His official visit to Syracuse basketball went well, and his dad, Ed Constanza, has said to me that his son may take a second visit to the Hill.
Other suitors for Alex Constanza, a top-20 national prospect in the 2026 cycle, include Georgetown, Illinois and Miami, among others. He's spending his senior year playing for a legendary coach at the high school level. Constanza recently arrived on the campus of his new school and is focused on the upcoming campaign, his dad says.
That being said, Syracuse basketball remains on Constanza's radar. In mid-July, amid an NCAA-permitted live period, Orange head coach Adrian Autry and assistant coach Allen Griffin were in for Constanza as he played for the 17U squad of the Marietta, Ga.-based Team Scoot in Puma's PRO16 league.
Last week, the scouting experts at The Circuit named Constanza to their All-PRO16 first team for the latest AAU season. He averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for Team Scoot.
In 2025-26, Constanza will play at the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, which has joined the loaded Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic ("EYBL Scholastic"). Spire's head coach is the legendary Kevin Boyle, who previously won multiple national championships while leading the Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla.
Constanza, who was an All-American at the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is excited to play for Boyle as a senior. I'll continue to stay in touch with Constanza's dad to see if his son visits the 'Cuse yet again while also keeping tabs on his recruitment during the 2025-26 season.