Syracuse basketball offers NYC big who is 4 stars with 5-star potential, expert says

Syracuse basketball has offered a scholarship to a fast-rising big man from New York who has loads of promise and upside, an expert told me on Monday.

Per his X account, 2025 power forward/center Asher Elson received a scholarship from the Orange coaching staff on Sunday evening.

The 6-foot-10 Elson is a standout with South Shore High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. On the AAU circuit, he suits up for the 17U team of the Bronx, N.Y.-based New York Gauchos in the Adidas 3SSB league.

To that end, the New York Gauchos recently suited up at an early AAU session in which Elson put forth some strong performances.

Syracuse basketball has officially entered the recruitment of 2025 big man Asher Elson.

Per his X account and recruiting services, Elson's offer sheet includes teams such as the Orange, Creighton, Illinois, St. John's, Temple, UAB and Fordham.

Currently, On3 rates Elson as three stars, No. 145 nationally, No. 32 at power forward and No. 7 in New York within the high school junior class. However, I sense that Elson could be viewed as somewhat of a "late-bloomer" within the 2025 cycle.

To that end, I caught up on Monday with Brian Reichert, an analyst/writer who extensively covers high school hoops and recruiting throughout New York City and the Empire state for NYCHoops.net and Rivals.com.

Reichert tells me that Elson boasts "one of the best ceilings in 2025." The expert says Elson should be deemed as a four-star, top-100 national prospect in this cycle, and he's got five-star potential.

Reichert added on Elson, "He's a mixture of (NBA star players) Brandon Ingram and Jabari Smith."

According to Reichert and other analysts, Elson is an intriguing stretch-four. He's got great size and length to finish around the rim, rebound with proficiency, block shots and guard multiple positions due to his athleticism.

Additionally, even at 6-foot-10, Elson shoots the ball well from the mid-range and from beyond the arc, experts say, noting that he is also a high-energy guy and a high-character young man.

This past weekend, the Adidas 3SSB league held a session in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at which the New York Gauchos went a perfect 4-0. According to statistics provided by the X account The Circuit, Elson had 20 points and four rebounds in one game, and he registered 15 points, four boards and two steals in a second contest.

To date, Syracuse basketball coaches have offered scholarships to around 20 prospects in the 2025 class, including several big men. One is four-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., who has the Orange in his top seven.

It's understandable that the 'Cuse staff will want to grab at least one or two power forwards/centers in the 2025 cycle. Looking ahead to the upcoming 2024-25 stanza, the team's roster of big men, at least for the time being, includes five-star incoming freshman Donnie Freeman, rising sophomore William Patterson, who didn't play at all this past term, rising senior Naheem McLeod and Eddie Lampkin Jr., a transfer from Colorado who will be a graduate student.

I'm excited that the Orange has offered a scholarship to Elson. Look for him to potentially take a visit to Syracuse basketball in the coming months.