Syracuse basketball coaches are in for a big-time recruiting battle as they aim to ultimately prevail for 2025 four-star guard Acaden Lewis from Washington, D.C.
There's just no other way to slice it.
The 6-foot-3 Lewis, who in recent months has proven one of the hottest prospects nationwide in the rising high school senior class, a few days ago disclosed a top eight of the Orange, Kentucky, two-time defending national champion UConn, North Carolina, Duke, Tennessee, Michigan and Auburn.
Lately, Lewis has unofficially visited Kentucky, UConn and North Carolina. Media reports state that he plans to officially visit all of his finalists, including the 'Cuse.
Now, ever since the Orange offered a scholarship to Lewis back in late April, the Syracuse basketball staff has recruited him hard, and that will continue on as Lewis takes his official visits.
In numerous interviews, Lewis has spoken highly of the 'Cuse program. He says he appreciates the consistent recruiting efforts that Orange coaches have with him. Syracuse basketball coaches have deep recruiting ties to the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas, something that Lewis notices and values.
Analyzing the recruiting race to win out for Syracuse basketball 4-star target Acaden Lewis.
Since Lewis unveiled his top eight, I've caught up with numerous recruiting analysts and reporters who have been extensively tracking Lewis' recruitment, to get a sense of where things stand for the 'Cuse and his other suitors.
One general theme that experts relayed to me is that things will become more clear about a front-runner, or front-runners, for Lewis as he takes his official visits. The Orange, as I've said, is expected to host him on an official visit at some point, and we'll have to wait and see how Lewis' trips to Central New York and his other seven finalists go.
For now, some experts told me, it could be a bit too early on in the process to gauge specific favorites for Lewis. To that end, for Syracuse basketball to make his top eight is a positive sign, and one of the next steps in that process will be his official visits.
All of Lewis' eight finalists are impressive. UConn is the current premier team in college hoops. Kentucky, North Carolina and Duke are blue-blood programs, much like the Huskies.
Michigan wasn't good last season, but they're often among the best squads in the Big Ten Conference. The Wolverines have a new head coach in Dusty May, who guided Florida Atlantic to the 2023 Final Four. Lewis also has family ties to the state of Michigan.
Tennessee and Auburn are both strong Southeastern Conference teams. The Volunteers went to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, while the Tigers reached the 2019 Final Four.
Naturally, Lewis' decision will be based on a variety of factors. Team culture. Roster construction, including existing players as well as other 2025 commits that these eight suitors may have in the fold.
To that end, Lewis has said this to On3 national reporter Joe Tipton in the past: "The culture of the school will be big for me. I want to see how they talk to the top guy, their second guy, their thirteenth guy. See how they treat their managers and everyone in the program. The roster will be big too. With the portal and everything going on there, I want to go into a family environment where I know the coaches are invested in me."
I'm steadfast in my belief that if Syracuse basketball doesn't prevail for Lewis, it won't be due to the Orange staff not putting in the work for him.
While Lewis' recruiting process could play out for a while longer, ebbing and flowing, for the 'Cuse to be in his top eight means Syracuse basketball has a shot. That being said, several experts told me that the blue-blood programs in his top eight may end up leading the race for Lewis.
Some of these experts did note that the 'Cuse staff got involved with Lewis earlier on in the spring, before his recruitment totally blew up and also before the blue-blood programs doled out offers to him. That, I'm hoping, could prove an advantage for the Orange.
To that end, Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry, assistant coach Brenden Straughn and new assistant coach Dan Engelstad boast strong recruiting connections and relationships in the DMV, where Lewis resides. He's a rising senior with the Sidwell Friends School in D.C., and suits up for the 17U squad of the Oxon Hill, Md.-based Team Durant in Nike’s EYBL league.
It's also been out there in reports that Straughn was recruiting Lewis when he was an assistant coach at George Washington, before he joined the 'Cuse. One expert told me that Straughn is a genuine guy and a tireless recruiter who will be hauling in highly rated prospects from the DMV to play for the Orange.
On that topic, Autry and his staff landed an elite player from the D.C. market in Donnie Freeman, a 2024 five-star power forward and an incoming freshman on the Hill. What's more, in the 2025 cycle, Syracuse basketball in late May picked up a verbal pledge from five-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C.
Per the 2025 rankings via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, at the time of this writing, White was the highest-rated prospect to commit thus far in this class.
By extension, Orange coaches are pursuing several other top-flight rising seniors besides Lewis, such as four-star shooting guard and top-30 national prospect Kiyan Anthony from New York City, and five-star big man and top-10 overall player Chris Cenac Jr. from New Orleans, among others.
The 'Cuse staff, recently, was praised by Rivals.com national analyst Jason Jordan for its aggressive and consistent recruiting efforts with 2025 targets. With White on board, and maybe others like Anthony potentially to follow him, Syracuse basketball coaches have strong recruiting momentum in 2025.
Whether the Orange will win the recruiting sweepstakes for Lewis, a top-40 national prospect who is trending toward five-star status, won't be known for probably several months. The odds may be somewhat stacked against the 'Cuse, so to speak, but I think Syracuse basketball coaches have an intriguing and compelling pitch to land Lewis.
Let's see how this all pans out; hopefully, in the Orange's favor.