Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Philly recruit arrives in top 20 nationally in new rankings

A new Syracuse basketball recruit debuts in the inaugural national rankings from a primary recruiting service in the top 20 around the country.

This week, Rivals.com published its initial top 60 prospects nationwide in the 2027 class. Zion Green, a Philadelphia product who was offered by the Orange earlier this summer, checks in as four stars and No. 20 overall, per Rivals.com.

The 6-foot-8 Green is a top-flight power forward who attends the powerhouse Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia. Per media reports, on the AAU circuit, he plays for the New Jersey Scholars in Nike's EYBL league.

In late June, the 'Cuse coaching staff offered a scholarship to Green, according to a post on X from THE MILLER REPORT, a premiere sports media entity and scouting service.

Syracuse basketball has gotten involved early on with 2027 four-star prospect Zion Green.

According to the Verbal Commits Web site, Green holds offers from the Orange, Penn State and UTEP.

However, his offer sheet will expand. For one, college coaches can begin initiating direct communication with 2027 players on June 15 of next year. Once that 2027 contact period opens, I'm highly confident that Green will see his offer list grow, if not sooner than that.

The rising sophomore is also a top-20 national prospect in his cycle, per ESPN. When I wrote this article, ESPN placed Green at No. 19 overall, No. 6 at power forward and No. 1 in Pennsylvania within the 2027 class.

As a freshman during the 2023-24 campaign, Green was part of a terrific Imhotep team that sported a 29-3 overall record and won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association ("PIAA") Class 5A championship this past March.

Following the conclusion of 2023-24, MaxPreps ranked Imhotep as the No. 29 high school program nationwide as well as the No. 1 group in Pennsylvania.

In late June, amid a scholastic live period, the Syracuse basketball staff was on hand to watch Green at the Philly Live event in a contest between Imhotep and the Andrews Osborne Academy from Willoughby, Ohio, according to an X post from top scout Ari Rosenfeld, the owner of ELITE High School Scouting.

Besides Green, the Orange in late June also offered a scholarship to 2027 five-star forward Baba Oladotun out of James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., and the Oxon Hill, Md.-based Team Durant on the EYBL circuit.

In the new rankings from Rivals.com, the 6-foot-9 Oladotun picked up the No. 3 overall spot in the 2027 class.