Syracuse Basketball: New 4-star PG commit cites bond with coaches, New York City ties

Earlier this week, Hofstra junior point guard Jaquan Carlos said he would transfer to Syracuse basketball, and he says in an interview that he forged a strong relationship with Orange coaches while on a recent visit to the Hill.

The 6-foot Carlos, a pure, pass-first point guard who has great court vision and gets after it defensively, is from Brooklyn, N.Y.

He told top analyst Mike McAllister of 247Sports that he's excited to suit up for the 'Cuse and play for a program in the Empire State, given that he's from New York City and Hofstra is located on New York's Long Island.

"It's definitely a great feeling being a New York kid and not having to leave the state or the East Coast," Carlos, a four-star transfer prospect, said to McAllister. "Definitely a great feeling."

New commit Jaquan Carlos, a four-star point guard, is high on Syracuse basketball coaches.

The Orange staff, led by head coach Adrian Autry, has deep recruiting connections and relationships in New York City and throughout the Empire State, as well as in the Washington, D.C., to Baltimore corridor. Those are two key recruiting focuses for the 'Cuse, from a geographic standpoint.

In the Big Apple and New York state, both Autry and assistant coach Allen Griffin have long-time track records from a recruiting perspective. They each grew up in New York City and were high school basketball stars there.

Carlos noted that in his chat with McAllister, saying, "Coach Red, coach Griff, coach Dan and coach B. Those guys are East Coast, New York guys. Especially coach Red and coach Griff. It's just the relationship and the family bond I got from being on the visit."

After Carlos entered the transfer portal in late March, he heard from numerous college squads, including the Orange, according to media reports at the time. However, as McAllister noted, Carlos' only visit since entering the portal was to the 'Cuse.

"Couple other schools were definitely trying to get me to visit," Carlos said. "But I just liked this opportunity here."

In the 2023-24 season, when Coastal Athletic Association ("CAA") member Hofstra sported a 20-13 overall record, Carlos averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game, while he connected on 41.3 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 89.2 percent from the free-throw line.

Carlos, as a junior, led the CAA in assists per contest, was No. 3 in that league in assist/turnover ratio per affair, and was named to the conference's All-Defensive squad. On Thursday, I published a piece where two top NYC hoops experts provided insights into Carlos' all-around game.

In short, they said that he is a terrific floor general who excels on both ends of the floor and is always looking to make the teammates around him better.

Carlos echoes that sentiment. When asked by 247Sports what he will bring to Syracuse basketball in the 2024-25 campaign, he replied, "Just a quarterback, man. A quarterback of the team. Unselfish player who is going to play hard every night and doing whatever it takes to win games."

The 'Cuse has seen at least two guards hit the portal this off-season, while sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is headed to the 2024 NBA Draft. Whether Carlos starts or is a key reserve off the bench, he will prove a vital contributor to the Orange's success in the next term.