Syracuse Basketball: With 5-star Sadiq White Jr. on board, who might be next in 2025?

Last week, Syracuse basketball kicked off its 2025 class in a big-time way, landing a verbal commitment from 2025 five-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C.

The 6-foot-8 White, an elite defender with a growing offensive skill set, is a consensus top-35 national prospect in his class and chose the Orange over other finalists Alabama, Southern California, Georgetown, LSU, Tennessee, and Texas.

Grabbing a verbal pledge from White, I hope, will prove as a springboard for the 'Cuse to pick up other highly ranked 2025 targets that Syracuse basketball is pursuing. I personally believe that getting White is massive, because my assumption is that highly rated players want to play alongside other highly rated prospects.

While the Orange staff has offered scholarships to more than 20 players in the rising high school senior cycle, these days, 'Cuse coaches seem to be prioritizing a handful of guys in this class. Who might be next to commit to Syracuse basketball? Let's discuss that.

Discussing which 2025 recruit might be the next to pledge to Syracuse basketball.

Dating back to the late summer/early fall of last year, a variety of 2025 prospects have taken either official or unofficial visits to the Hill. They include:
•Four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony from New York City
•Four-star point guard Nigel James from New York state
•Four-star combo guard Derek Dixon from Washington, D.C.
•Four-star power forward/center Matthew Gilhool from Philadephia
•Four-star point guard Tyler Jackson from Baltimore
•Four-star small forward London Jemison from Connecticut
•Four-star point guard Keyshuan Tillery from Albany, N.Y.

Additionally, since mid-April of this year, the 'Cuse staff has offered scholarships to at least five prospects in the 2025 class. They are:
•Four-star guard Acaden Lewis from Washington, D.C.
•Four-star small forward Shon Abaev from Florida
•Four-star shooting guard Dante Allen from Florida
•Three-star power forward/center Asher Elson from New York City
•Three-star wing Ryder Frost from Massachusetts

To reiterate, this is solely my opinion, but I don't think the Orange is a significant contender at present for James, Gilhool and perhaps Dixon.

At the point-guard position, my sense is that the top-three targets for the 'Cuse are Lewis, Jackson and Tillery. Jackson has said he talks to the Syracuse basketball staff all the time, although he's also likely to visit other suitors coming up.

I've seen reports that Tillery, who has lately picked up a bunch of new offers, could potentially take an official visit to the Hill at some point. Lewis is a hot 2025 prospect who has said that he will visit the Orange soon.

Jemison, whose only official visit to date is to Syracuse basketball, is also seeing his offer sheet expand.

Abaev, Allen, Elson and Frost are relatively new Orange recruits, much like Lewis. Reports have indicated that Abaev and Allen are in consistent communication with the 'Cuse staff, and I believe Abaev has said that Syracuse basketball is on his list of teams he would like to visit. Frost, too, has indicated that he has a high interest in visiting the 'Cuse, yet his recruitment is also blowing up.

This brings us to Anthony. A lot of Syracuse basketball fans, on social media and in chat rooms, have opined of late that they think Anthony will verbally commit to the Orange soon. While there are multiple predictions on various recruiting Web sites in the direction of Syracuse basketball for Anthony, he has stated that he plans to take some more visits in the coming months, including another trip to Central New York.

I think it's worth noting that Anthony and Jackson are good friends who have competed this spring together on the AAU circuit for the 17U squad of the Baltimore-based Team Melo in Nike’s EYBL league. It's also worth mentioning that Anthony has said he frequently talks to Elijah Moore, a four-star shooting guard from New York City who is officially signed with the 'Cuse in its 2024 class.

I don't necessarily think that any of the Orange's 2025 priority targets are going to verbally pledge to Syracuse basketball in the near term, but I could be wrong. However, here are some 2025 prospects who potentially could be next to join White in this 'Cuse cycle:
•Anthony
•Lewis or Jackson

Let's also keep an eye on:
•Jemison
•Abaev
•Allen
•Elson
•Frost

Regarding Lewis, Abaev, Allen, Elson and Frost, we'll have to see if they end up scheduling visits to Syracuse basketball, and other programs they visit. That will provide some insight into the Orange's chances in their respective recruitments.