Syracuse Basketball: Top analyst praises 5-star recruits for play on the PUMA circuit

Over the last few days, several Syracuse basketball five-star targets have suited up in the PUMA-sponsored PRO16 league in the Phoenix area amid an NCAA live period with college coaches in attendance.

Two 'Cuse recruits, in particular, who were competing in Mesa, Ariz., of late are 2025 five-star big man Chris Cenac Jr. and 2026 five-star guard/small forward Alex Constanza.

Both the 6-foot-10 Cenac and the 6-foot-8 Constanza hold offers from the Orange. Syracuse basketball offered a scholarship to Cenac in early June, while Constanza picked up his 'Cuse offer this past January.

On Sunday, 247Sports national analyst Dushawn London dished out high praise to each of these Orange recruits for their performances at the most recent session on the PRO16 circuit.

A top expert lauds Syracuse basketball 5-star targets for their stellar play in AAU.

Cenac is a standout for the 17U team of the Dallas-based YoungGameChangers. Constanza, meanwhile, has been competing up a division for the 17U squad of the Orlando, Fla.-based 1 Family.

I haven't been able to find box scores for individual games that transpired this past weekend in the PRO16 league, however, numerous posts on X from national analysts and scouts have noted that Cenac and Constanza have shined for their respective AAU programs.

Cenac, a top-10 national prospect in the 2025 class, will spend his senior year at the powerhouse Link Academy in Branson, Mo. Not too long ago, he won a gold medal with the USA Basketball U17 national team at the 2024 FIBA World Cup in Istanbul, Turkey. Orange assistant coach Brenden Straughn was on hand at this international event.

Constanza, also a top-10 overall player in his cycle, put forth an All-American sophomore season with the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. His dad has told me on several occasions that Constanza is interested in visiting Syracuse basketball at some point.

When the 2026 contact period opened on June 15, enabling college coaches to initiate direct communication with rising high school juniors, Constanza heard from a bevy of schools, including the 'Cuse.

London, in his story for 247Sports, noted some of the college coaches who were in attendance over the last few days for both Cenac and Constanza during this latest evaluation period in the various AAU leagues. For what it's worth, I didn't see any mention of the Orange coaching staff.

That being said, Straughn and the 'Cuse staff have put in some serious work showing Cenac that he's a priority for the team in the 2025 class. As far as Constanza, given he's a rising junior, his recruiting process likely has a way to go.

The key for Syracuse basketball coaches as it pertains to these two highly coveted prospects is to get them on the Hill for a visit down the line.