Nigel James, a four-star point guard in the 2025 class from New York state who has visited Syracuse basketball twice, says in an interview that there are five suitors recruiting him the hardest, and the Orange isn't one of them.
The 6-foot James tells Sam Lance in a recent piece on zagsblog.com that the five schools recruiting him the hardest these days are Marquette, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers and Georgia Tech.
James, a top-100 national prospect and a top-20 point guard in the rising senior class per multiple recruiting services, received a scholarship offer from the Orange in late August of last year, around the time that he competed in the team’s annual Elite Camp.
Four-star point guard Nigel James updates recruitment, names five schools recruiting him hardest@nigel_j24 @LuHiBasketball @ExpressionsBall @AdamZagoria https://t.co/aCb0uNoiIt
— Sam Lance (@slancehoops) May 19, 2024
The following month, in mid-September, he went on an official visit to the Hill. To date, he has also officially visited Marquette, Rutgers and Providence.
Syracuse basketball is pursuing several other four-star guards in the 2025 cycle.
James attends the powerhouse Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., where he is teammates with 'Cuse 2025 priority target Kiyan Anthony, a four-star shooting guard from New York City who went on an official visit to Syracuse basketball in late October of 2023.
On the AAU circuit this spring and summer, James is running with the 17U squad of the Boston-based Expressions Elite in Nike's EYBL league. One of his teammates with Expressions is 2025 four-star forward London Jemison, who officially visited the Orange in late December of last year.
This past weekend, the various shoe-sponsored AAU leagues conducted sessions around the country amid an NCAA live period where college coaches were watching high school prospects in person.
As I noted in another recent column, the 'Cuse coaching staff was in attendance for at least one Expressions contest last weekend as the EYBL circuit held a session in Indianapolis.
In numerous interviews, James has spoken highly of the Syracuse basketball program and its staff. However, it's important to note here that Gerry McNamara was serving as the Orange's lead recruiter for James.
In late March of this year, McNamara left his post as the associate head coach of the 'Cuse to become the head coach of Siena.
What's more, in recent weeks, the Orange staff has doled out new scholarship offers to several 2025 prospects, including four-star combo guard Acaden Lewis from Washington, D.C., who has said he plans to visit the 'Cuse soon.
Additionally, 2025 four-star point guard Tyler Jackson from Baltimore, who officially visited Syracuse basketball in late January of this year, recently said that he speaks with the Orange staff on a daily basis.
I've been high on Nigel James for a long, long time. If it's the case that the 'Cuse is no longer a contender for him, whether it's a decision he made, the Syracuse basketball staff made or the parties mutually decided upon, I get it. That's how recruiting goes.
But I'll be rooting for Nigel no matter where he ultimately lands in college.