Shon Abaev, set to officially visit Syracuse basketball soon, is a hot prospect in the 2025 class who could make a move toward five-star status.
The 6-foot-8 Abaev, a dynamic-scoring wing/small forward from Florida, caught the attention of numerous national analysts and scouts earlier this month as he caught fire at a New York City showcase with other 'Cuse recruits on hand as well.
Recently, several analysts have noted that Abaev is due to see his 2025 national rankings climb as recruiting services refresh their ratings for this cycle at some point down the line.
Abaev has a handful of official visits coming up, and two heavyweight programs in college basketball are showing an interest in him.
Syracuse basketball is in the mix for 2025 four-star prospect Shon Abaev.
In the coming weeks, Abaev will take trips to the 'Cuse, Dayton, Southern California, Maryland, Auburn and Cincinnati. He is slated to officially visit the Orange from August 30 to August 31, and Abaev has previously gone on official visits to Georgia, Arizona State, Oregon and Tennessee.
As I discussed in another recent column, Abaev says that he has developed a strong relationship with head coach Adrian Autry, and I think that Syracuse basketball has a legit shot to prevail for Abaev.
Several recruiting services currently place him in the top 40 nationwide of the 2025 class. Rob Cassidy, a national analyst with Rivals.com, recently said that Abaev's performances on the AAU circuit and at other events this spring and summer have evolved him into a major stock riser in this cycle.
The Orange offered a scholarship to Abaev in late April of this year. He's a standout at the Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Over the spring and summer, Abaev was one of the best all-around players in grassroots basketball while starring for the 17U team of the Pembroke Pines, Fla.-based SOH Elite in the Under Armour Association ("UAA") league.
Earlier this month, Abaev took home MVP honors at the Under Armour Next Elite 24 showcase in Brooklyn, N.Y., an event that aired on ESPNU. His play in the Big Apple earned Abaev high marks from ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla and other recruiting experts.
Cassidy, in a separate recent piece, said that blue-blood program and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference school Duke as well as Arkansas, which is led by new head coach and ace recruiter John Calipari, are displaying an interest in Abaev.
According to Cassidy, as the fall recruiting period arrives in September and college coaches check out high school prospects at open gyms, both Duke and Arkansas are planning to be in attendance for Abaev at Calvary Christian.
Cassidy writes that Calvary Christian head coach Cilk McSweeney says Abaev's recruiting process remains "wide open," so I'll be curious whether Abaev ends up landing a scholarship offer from Arkansas, Duke or both programs.
In late May, the Orange landed a verbal commitment from 2025 five-star forward and top-20 national prospect Sadiq White Jr., who will spend his senior season at the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Besides Abaev, the 'Cuse staff has several other 2025 recruits who it is prioritizing, including four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony, four-star guard Acaden Lewis and four-star wing Ryder Frost, among others.