Of all the 2025 prospects who have received scholarship offers from the Syracuse basketball coaching staff, you'd be hard-pressed to find one who put forth a more brilliant 2023-24 season than four-star forward Cam Ward from the talent-rich Washington, D.C., area.
To the best of my knowledge, the Orange has offered nearly 20 high school juniors, and these days, the 'Cuse coaching staff seems to be prioritizing anywhere from seven to nine of these 2025 players, including the 6-foot-7 Ward.
The standout at Largo High School in Upper Marlboro, Md., recently helped lead the Lions to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (“MPSSAA”) Class 2A tournament championship after Largo fell in the title contest in the prior campaign.
When Largo defeated Baltimore’s Carver Vo-Tech, 66-52, last Saturday for the crown, Ward was at his best, tallying a game-high 29 points, 16 rebounds, one assist, five steals and six blocks.
That performance capped off a truly stellar junior stanza for this Orange recruiting target, who received a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse coaching staff in late April of last year.
Syracuse basketball 2025 four-star recruit Cam Ward just collected some mighty fine hardware.
A few days ago, Ward was named the MaxPreps player of the year in Maryland for the 2023-24 season, and deservingly so.
‘25 @LargoMensBBall/@teamdurant_AAU Cam Ward has been named 2023-24 @MaxPreps Maryland POY. Ward led Largo to the 2A state 🏆 while averaging 26.4PPG, 11.8RPG, 2.4SPG, 2.3APG & 2BPG.
— Colby Giacubeno (@ColbyGHoops) March 20, 2024
👤: https://t.co/gyjyQxMhcb pic.twitter.com/Y42sFGHBzc
According to MaxPreps national basketball editor Jordan Divens, in 2023-24, Ward averaged a ridiculous 26.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 2.3 assists and 2.0 blocks per affair. As a junior, he connected on an excellent 60 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free-throw line.
Ward, to me, remains vastly under-ranked in the 2025 class. While all the primary recruiting services rate him inside the top 100 nationally, with ESPN the most bullish placing him at No. 39 overall, I contend that Ward should be a consensus top-30 overall player and a legit contender for five-star status in the high school junior cycle.
In early February, Ward detailed to the X account 24/7 High School Hoops the various college squads the most involved in his recruitment, and the Orange was included there.
Besides Syracuse basketball, Ward's full offer sheet includes schools such as Virginia, Michigan State, Louisville, Villanova, Saint Louis, Notre Dame, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Old Dominion, Texas, Iowa, Providence, Tennessee, VCU, Georgetown, Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, George Mason, George Washington and Bryant.
To date in his recruiting process, Ward has officially visited Florida State and Notre Dame while also taking unofficial visits to local squads Maryland and Georgetown.
Last September, amid the fall recruiting period, the 'Cuse coaching staff was in attendance for Ward doing a Largo open gym. Candidly, though, for the Orange to win out for Ward, Syracuse basketball coaches will have to get him on the Hill for a visit at some point.
A huge congrats from 'Cuse Nation to Cam on a truly magical 2023-24 term. Up next for him is the 2024 AAU season. Last spring and summer, Ward averaged nearly 20 points per game while starring for the Oxon Hill, Md.-based Team Durant in Nike’s EYBL league.