Over the next few days, one of the top events of the 2023-24 season in high school hoops will transpire in the Garden State, where Syracuse basketball priority targets will face off with one another in some exciting affairs.
From February 1 to February 3, the annual Metro Classic will take place in Somerset, N.J., and this prestigious showcase will feature some of the top programs around the country.
As part of this year’s Metro Classic, several encounters will include Orange recruits in the 2025 and 2026 classes, as well as a ‘Cuse 2024 commit.
If you’d like to look at the schedule for the 2024 Metro Classic, you can do so by clicking here.
Syracuse basketball recruiting targets are set to suit up in New Jersey.
Here are some contests at the Metro Classic that will interest Orange recruiting enthusiasts:
Thursday, Feb. 1
7 pm, Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., versus the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.
Montverde is the top-ranked team in the country at this point in the 2023-24 season. La Lumiere’s roster includes 2025 four-star point guard Jerry Easter II, a top-25 national prospect who holds a Syracuse basketball scholarship offer and wants to visit the ‘Cuse.
Friday, Feb. 2
3:30 pm, St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn., versus the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.
This is an awesome match-up. London Jemison, a fast-rising 2025 four-star small forward, plays for St. Thomas More and took an official visit to the Orange in late December. One of the standouts at Blair is 2026 four-star point guard and top-25 national prospect Deron Rippey Jr., who has a ‘Cuse offer and I expect to visit the Hill at some point.
5 pm, La Lumiere versus the Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H.
Easter and La Lumiere will duke it out against another formidable foe, the Brewster Academy, which has sent numerous of its players to Syracuse basketball over the years.
7 pm, Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., versus the Link Academy in Branson, Mo.
Another juicy game. Link won the 2023 GEICO Nationals. Long Island Lutheran is a top-five national squad to date this season, and its back-court features Syracuse basketball 2025 four-star priority targets Kiyan Anthony, a shooting guard, and Nigel James, a point guard. Both Anthony and James have ‘Cuse offers and have officially visited the Orange.
Saturday, Feb. 3
10 am, St. Thomas More versus the Olympus Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y.
This is another opportunity to check in on Jemison, who recently made one of the largest jumps nationwide in updated 2025 rankings from 247Sports.
4 pm, Roselle Catholic High School in Roselle, N.J., versus the Our Saviour Lutheran School in the Bronx, N.Y.
Roselle Catholic is one of New Jersey’s top high school programs. One of the standouts for Our Saviour Lutheran is Syracuse basketball 2024 commit Elijah Moore, a four-star shooting guard.
Our Saviour Lutheran operates as JellyFam in the Atlanta-based professional league Overtime Elite, but also plays some games outside of Overtime Elite, including at the Metro Classic. Fun.
I have another enticing encounter to mention. On Saturday, Feb. 3, beginning at 7:30 pm at Towson University in the Baltimore area, Long Island Lutheran will square off with Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., as part of the Melo Classic (yes, that’s Carmelo Anthony's showcase).
Gonzaga’s 2023-24 roster includes 2025 four-star combo guard Derek Dixon, who has an offer from the Orange and officially visited Syracuse basketball in late September of last year.