Syracuse Basketball: 'Cuse 4-star, 5-star recruits to battle in NYC showcase on ESPNU

Four highly ranked prospects in the 2025 and 2026 classes, all of whom hold Syracuse basketball offers, will compete at a showcase event on Saturday night in New York City that will air on a national broadcast.

More than two-dozen high school players in these two cycles are set to play in the Under Armour Next Elite 24, which will take place beginning at 8 pm on August 10 from the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Orange recruiting enthusiasts will have a chance to watch this showcase, as it is scheduled to air on ESPNU.

Per a mid-July article from top writer Charlie Parent on zagsblog.com, Saturday evening will mark the 14th edition of this event, which returns to New York for the first time since 2016.

Syracuse basketball targets are playing in the Big Apple this Saturday on television.

The "Team Ice" roster features 2025 four-star small forward and top-40 national prospect Shon Abaev, as well as 2026 four-star wing and top-85 overall player Abdou Toure.

On the "Team Fire" roster, Orange fans will want to check out 2025 four-star guard and top-40 national prospect Acaden Lewis, along with 2026 five-star point guard and top-15 overall player Deron Rippey Jr.

Here's a bit more context on each of these Syracuse basketball recruits:

Shon Abaev
A rising senior at the Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the 6-foot-8 Abaev picked up a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse in late April of this year. Per recent media reports, he is planning to take an official visit to the Hill from August 30 to August 31.

Abdou Toure
In late July, the 6-foot-5 Toure said via his X page that he had received an offer from the Orange. Toure is a standout at Notre Dame High School in West Haven, Conn. As a sophomore during the 2023-24 season, Toure helped lead Notre Dame to a 28-0 record and a Division I state championship in Connecticut, while he was named by MaxPreps as the player of the year in that state.

Acaden Lewis
Similar to Abaev, the 6-foot-3 Lewis secured his Syracuse basketball offer in late April of this year. Lewis, who stars for the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., recently disclosed a top eight that includes the 'Cuse. Recently, on August 1, he went on an unofficial visit to the Orange program.

Deron Rippey Jr.
The 6-foot-2 Rippey, a fast-rising prospect in the rising junior class, was offered by Syracuse basketball in late August of 2023. A standout for the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., he unofficially visited the 'Cuse this past February on Jim Boeheim Day. His dad has told me that Rippey will take an official visit to Syracuse basketball in the future.