Syracuse Basketball: Defending champ UConn pursuing ‘Cuse 4-star priority recruit

Syracuse basketball coaches continue to prioritize 2025 four-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., and he’s put forth a tremendous junior season for his nationally ranked high school program.

The 6-foot-8 White, a top-30 national prospect in the 2025 cycle per both the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, has said in several recent interviews that the Orange is among the college squads recruiting him the hardest these days.

However, White boasts numerous other impressive suitors, including Big East Conference powerhouse UConn, which won the 2023 national championship and is currently one of the top teams during the 2023-24 term.

According to a recent post on X from top high school hoops analyst Alex Karamanos, Connecticut has reached out to White.

Syracuse basketball remains in the hunt for 2025 four-star forward Sadiq White Jr.

In a recent interview with media outlet Pro Insight, White was asked which college schools he’s been hearing from the most lately. His response: “I've heard from Syracuse…Tennessee…Arkansas is really big right now. Georgetown.”

White says some of the main criteria in his future collegiate home include the relationships with coaches and players, along with competing for a winning program.

“Relationships are going to play a big part, but I want to win as well. So just, I don’t want to go from being at a powerhouse of a high school to going to a college program that’s not winning. I’m not used to losing,” he said.

Also not too long ago, White told the X account 24/7 High School Hoops that those college schools reaching out to him the most these days include “Tennessee, Syracuse, South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgetown, Texas, Alabama, LSU, Florida State and Michigan.”

White is a standout junior for the nationally ranked Myers Park High School in Charlotte, which has proven one of the top high school programs throughout the country in 2023-24.

Offered a scholarship by the ‘Cuse coaching staff in late April of 2023, White has taken two unofficial visits to the Hill. One transpired in mid-September of last year.

The second unofficial trip to Syracuse basketball happened when the Orange hosted – and defeated – Notre Dame in late February on Jim Boeheim Day.

Also in attendance at the JMA Wireless Dome for unofficial visits on Saturday, Feb. 24, were 2025 four-star power forward/center Matthew Gilhool from the Philadelphia area and 2026 four-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., who is from Brooklyn, N.Y.

According to social media posts, over the past few months, the Syracuse basketball coaching staff has also been in attendance for White during Myers Park games and open gyms.

White, who has said that he’s interested in taking an official visit to the Orange, is receiving interest from blue-blood programs Duke and North Carolina, along with others, according to national recruiting analysts.

His full offer sheet includes teams such as Arkansas, Ohio State, Georgetown, N.C. State, Tennessee, Texas, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and Alabama, among numerous others.