Syracuse Basketball: IMG is stellar fit for 5-star commit Sadiq White, analysts tell us

National recruiting analysts tell me that the powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., should prove an excellent fit for Syracuse basketball 2025 commit Sadiq White Jr., a five-star forward and a top-20 national prospect from Charlotte, N.C.

A week ago, word broke that the 6-foot-8 White, who verbally pledged to the Orange in late May, would move for the upcoming 2024-25 season from the nationally ranked Myers Park High School in Charlotte to IMG, which is one of the premier independent basketball academies around the country.

IMG suits up in arguably the nation's top high school basketball conference, the 14-team Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic (“EYBL Scholastic”). The Ascenders, from year to year, also participate in numerous prestigious showcase events.

As a junior in 2023-24, White put forth an All-American term for Myers Park. Yet at IMG, he will have the opportunity to face the best of the best in high school hoops, and experts say that White heading to the Ascenders should be terrific for his development as a player before joining the 'Cuse.

Analysts weigh in on Syracuse basketball 2025 five-star commit Sadiq White Jr. transferring to IMG.

For this article, I caught up with a handful of national recruiting analysts who have deep knowledge of the IMG program. By and large, they believe that competing for the Ascenders as a senior will be beneficial to White's development as he prepares for the collegiate level on the Hill.

Jordan Divens, the national basketball editor at MaxPreps, told me that he thinks White's move is "a great fit for him. IMG should be competitive nationally and he will step into a primary role immediately for them."

Sam Kayser, who operates the X account 24/7 High School Hoops, echoed that sentiment from Divens, saying, "I think the great part about Sadiq is he can pretty much fit with any team. His defensive versatility, motor, toughness and overall offensive skillset make him a seamless fit with any high school program."

Rob Cassidy, a national analyst with Rivals.com, agrees that playing for IMG should be good for White's development. But Cassidy also makes an interesting point. IMG, like other independent basketball academies, is laser-focused on hoops, and hoops only. Prospects who go there don't necessarily have a traditional high school experience.

"It's for some kids and not for others. If a kid is cool with not having a real high school experience and locking in to ONLY basketball and being treated like a pro at an early age, it works," Cassidy says. "If not, I've seen it go sideways. There is almost no way of telling if you don't know the kid personally. It'll be great for his development if he (White) is comfortable there."

Naturally, I hope that White playing at IMG is nothing but a positive experience for him. Donnie Freeman, a 'Cuse incoming freshman and 2024 five-star power forward from Washington, D.C., was lights-out while spending his senior year with the Ascenders.

Freeman, buoyed by his strong performances and national exposure while at IMG, ultimately jumped to as high as No. 6 nationally in final rankings for his class, and he suited up in several All-America contests this past spring.

As several high school hoops analysts have told me in recent days, in the 2024-25 term, the Ascenders are likely to contend for an EYBL Scholastic championship as well as a return to next spring's Chipotle Nationals.

After the news came out that White would transfer to IMG, top high school hoops analyst/scout Samad Hines told me that he had the Ascenders at No. 7 in his preseason national rankings for 2024-25.

In EYBL Scholastic play, as a senior, White will have some of his games broadcast on national television. Additionally, he will square off against Syracuse basketball 2025 priority recruit Kiyan Anthony, a four-star shooting guard and a top-30 national prospect.

The 6-foot-5 Anthony, who has the Orange in his top six, is a rising senior at the juggernaut Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., which is also an EYBL Scholastic member.

Earlier this month, Hines said via his X page that a handful of top-flight programs have been confirmed for the next Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., a coveted showcase that will take place in January of 2025.

Per Hines, among these teams are IMG, Long Island Lutheran and the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., another heavyweight high school program that should reside in preseason top-25 national ratings ahead of the 2024-25 campaign commencing.

One of the standouts for Sidwell Friends is 2025 four-star guard and top-40 national prospect Acaden Lewis, who has the 'Cuse in his top eight. On August 1, the 6-foot-3 Lewis took an unofficial visit to Syracuse basketball.