Syracuse basketball coaches have two verbal commitments thus far in their 2025 cycle, and the Orange staff remains in pursuit of several other highly ranked targets in this class.
It remains to be seen just how large of a 2025 cycle the 'Cuse will end up with at the prep level, because we don't know what will transpire with the team's current roster for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign until the next off-season.
In 2024-25, Syracuse basketball has 12 scholarship players, but the Orange's roster includes multiple guys who will have exhausted their eligibility after this season. As we all know, the transfer portal's explosion means that the 'Cuse and its peers around the country could experience sizable roster overhauls from season to season.
In any event, when I wrote this column on Friday, the Orange's two-member 2025 class checked in at No. 12 nationally, per Rivals.com. For context, though, this Syracuse basketball cycle is currently No. 32 overall via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and No. 39 nationwide on the On3 Web site.
Syracuse basketball has started off strong with its 2025 cycle.
In late May, 2025 five-star forward and top-15 national prospect Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., verbally committed to the Orange. The 6-foot-8 White is spending his senior year at the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which is a member of the loaded 14-team Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic ("EYBL Scholastic").
About a week ago, after taking an official visit to the Hill, 2025 three-star wing Aaron Womack also verbally pledged to the 'Cuse. The 6-foot-5 Womack is a standout senior at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, Wis., near Milwaukee.
At the time of this writing, the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking placed Womack as three stars, No. 279 overall, No. 47 at small forward and No. 9 in Wisconsin. Womack has been an under-the-radar prospect in the 2025 cycle, some analysts and scouts have told me.
Now that he's committed to Syracuse basketball, with a strong senior term at Dominican, I adamantly believe that Womack can potentially attain a four-star rating in this class.
Just how high can the Orange climb nationally with its 2025 cycle? Obviously, that depends in part on what other seniors the 'Cuse gets in this class. One thing I'll note here is that the pursuit of Womack by the 'Cuse staff was not out in the public domain, as far as I can tell, and Syracuse basketball coaches could be eyeing other 2025 prospects in a similar capacity.
But as far as other 2025 players who hold Orange scholarship offers that we know about, they include four-star shooting guard and top-30 national prospect Kiyan Anthony from New York City; four-star wing/forward and top-25 national prospect Shon Abaev from Florida; four-star point guard and top-60 national prospect Tyler Jackson from Baltimore; and four-star big man and top-120 national prospect Asher Elson from New York City.
Anthony, Abaev and Jackson have officially visited Syracuse basketball. Anthony, who has the Orange in his final three, may take a second official visit to the 'Cuse. Abaev has officially visited a lot of programs, and the Orange will have a tough time prevailing for him, I believe.
Jackson is reportedly eyeing some official visits to other suitors this month. It's unclear to me just how much of an interest level the Syracuse basketball staff has in him these days, and vice versa. Elson is an emerging national prospect in the 2025 class, and I don't have a good sense of where the Orange stands in his recruitment.
Now, the sentiment among many 'Cuse fans is that Anthony will ultimately pick Syracuse basketball over other finalists Auburn and Southern California. Assuming that does transpire, this would give the Orange a solid three-member 2025 class, and then we'll have to see what Syracuse basketball coaches do via the portal in the next off-season.
I've stated before that I don't necessarily think the 'Cuse will end up with a top-five or even a top-10 national cycle in 2025, but my feelings on this could absolutely change if, say, Abaev ends up choosing Syracuse basketball as well.
Stay tuned.