Expert praises Syracuse basketball for aggressive, consistent 2025 recruiting efforts

In late May, Syracuse basketball got off to a stellar start in its 2025 class when five-star forward and top-20 national prospect Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., verbally committed to the Orange over six other finalists.

It's super early on in the 2025 cycle, but the decision by the 6-foot-8 White to head to Central New York gave the 'Cuse, at the time of this writing, a top-10 national class at this stage in the game, per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

White, in various interviews discussing his college choice, noted that for a long while, 'Cuse coaches have made him feel like a top priority in the 2025 class. Beyond his two unofficial visits so far to the Hill, the Syracuse basketball staff has watched White in many settings, whether on the AAU circuit, at other showcases, or during his play in high school.

That kind of consistent pursuit seemed to have won White over, and that theme is also something a top national analyst noted in a recent article as he praised the Orange's recruiting efforts in the rising senior cycle.

Syracuse basketball continues to recruit numerous other 2025 prospects hard.

As I've said on many occasions, per recruiting services, the 'Cuse staff has offered scholarships to more than 20 prospects in the rising senior class. These days, though, Orange coaches are honing in on a smaller group of 2025 targets.

It's difficult to gauge at this time just how large in size the team's 2025 class at the high school level will end up being, due to guys potentially leaving the program, and coming on board at the 'Cuse, via the transfer portal before 2025 players would begin their college careers.

Regardless, landing White is a strong beginning, and I'm highly confident that Syracuse basketball will add several more prep commits in 2025 when all is said and done.

To that end, in a recent roundtable on Rivals.com, national analysts debated several topics. One of them examined which college program has impressed these experts the most with the early work it has put forth in the 2025 cycle.

I'm pleased to say that Rivals.com national analyst Jason Jordan went with our beloved Orange. Here's what he wrote: "I’m liking what I’m seeing and hearing about in regards to Syracuse and (head coach) Adrian Autry. They’ve already got multi-talented forward Sadiq White in the stable and are ringing out loudly when elite prospects talk about schools who have been in contact most consistently. That’s something I always listen for and it’s clear that Autry and Co. are using an aggressive approach trying to secure top talent."

Look, Autry and his top-flight assistants aren't going to prevail for every 2025 target whom they're pursuing. That's how recruiting works. But to hear a national analyst speak to the level of assertiveness and consistency among Autry and his staff is highly, highly encouraging.

And it makes sense. Ryder Frost, a 2025 four-star wing from Massachusetts, took an official visit to the Orange last weekend. It was his first official visit. He just picked up a 'Cuse offer in late May.

This brings us to 2025 four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony from New York City, who has officially and unofficially visited the Orange. He's also said of late that he may visit Syracuse basketball again, and the 'Cuse staff is heavily involved with Anthony.

Four-star small forward London Jemison from Connecticut officially visited the Orange in late December of last year, and it was his first official visit. In late January of this year, four-star point guard Tyler Jackson from Baltimore went on his first official visit, and it was to the 'Cuse. He's said that he talks to the Syracuse basketball staff "every day."

Matthew Gilhool, a four-star big man from Philadelphia, has visited Syracuse basketball at least three times, including an official visit in late September of 2023. His lead recruiter at the 'Cuse had been former associate head coach Gerry McNamara.

But even after McNamara departed the Orange in the spring to become Siena's head coach, Autry and his assistants have remained in consistent contact with Gilhool. Last weekend, for one, Autry was on hand for Gilhool at the DMV Live showcase in the Washington, D.C., region during a live period.

In late April, the 'Cuse staff offered several 2025 prospects, including four-star guard Acaden Lewis from D.C., four-star small forward Shon Abaev from Florida, and four-star shooting guard Dante Allen from Florida. In early June, the Orange also offered five-star big man Chris Cenac Jr. from New Orleans.

Media reports and interviews have indicated that Syracuse basketball coaches are in regular communication with Lewis, Abaev and Allen, all of whom could end up visiting the program. Dating back to the spring, Orange coaches have watched these 2025 recruits during live periods, whether on the AAU circuit or as prospects suited up for their high school teams in scholastic evaluation periods.

Recently, the 'Cuse staff was in the house for the USA Basketball U17 national team at the 2024 FIBA World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey. On the roster of this squad has been Cenac and a Syracuse basketball 2026 priority target, five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. from the D.C. area.

To reiterate, the Orange isn't going to secure pledges from all of these highly ranked 2025 prospects. But I do think the 'Cuse will ultimately get commitments from a couple of them, and I commend Syracuse basketball coaches for putting in a ton of work in the rising senior class.