This Friday to Sunday is an NCAA-permitted live period on the various AAU circuits, enabling Syracuse basketball coaches and their peers around the country to evaluate high school prospects in person.
Over the weekend, Nike's EYBL league is in Memphis, Tenn. The Adidas 3SSB league is in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Under Armour Association ("UAA") league is in Hamilton, Ohio, while Puma's Pro 16 league is in Wichita, Kan.
Orange head coach Adrian Autry and his assistants are expected to be out and about checking in on recruiting targets at these shoe-sponsored circuits. To date, the 'Cuse coaching staff has offered scholarships to numerous 2026 prospects and several 2027 players, while displaying an interest in guys from both these classes as well.
So which recruits might Syracuse basketball coaches watch this weekend? I don't have a fully exhaustive list, however, a source of mine on Friday did point to some targets that Orange fans might want to monitor over the next few days.
Syracuse basketball recruits to watch this weekend on the AAU circuits.
Three guys to keep tabs on in the Adidas 3SSB league are 2026 five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., 2026 four-star point guard Neiko Mundey and 2026 four-star power forward Cody Peck.
Rippey, of the New York-based New Heights, and Mundey, of the Washington, D.C., area-based New World, hold scholarship offers from the 'Cuse, and each of them has unofficially visited the SU program. Peck, who suits up for the Raleigh, N.C.-based Garner Road, holds interest from the Syracuse basketball staff.
Over the years, the Albany, N.Y.-based City Rocks has sent numerous of its alumni to the Hill. My source says two City Rocks players to monitor this weekend are 2026 four-star guard Lucas Morillo and 2026 four-star power forward MJ Madison, who picked up an Orange scholarship offer earlier this month.
What's more, per a post on X, top scout Ari Rosenfeld, the owner of ELITE High School Scouting, said that Autry was on hand for a City Rocks contest on Friday in the 16U division as well. Morillo and Madison, who are heading into their senior years of high school, and other 2026 prospects are suiting up in the main 17U division across grassroots hoops.
Jasiah Jervis, a 2026 four-star wing with the New York City-based Renaissance Hoops in the EYBL league, is another Syracuse basketball target to monitor. He's received interest from the Orange staff for a while now, and it wouldn't surprise me if he lands a formal scholarship offer sooner rather than later.
Autry and assistant coach Brenden Straughn have long-time recruiting ties to the Washington, D.C.-based Team Takeover on the Nike circuit, and two highly ranked players with this elite AAU program are 2026 five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. and 2026 five-star wing Qayden Samuels.
Both boast 'Cuse scholarship offers. Smith unofficially visited the Orange last September, while Samuels has mentioned a possible visit to Syracuse basketball in the future. It wouldn't surprise me if the 'Cuse staff is in attendance for multiple Team Takeover encounters this weekend.
Other EYBL prospects who have secured Orange offers and could be watched by Syracuse basketball during the live period include 2026 four-star guard Dakari Spear (Irving, Texas-based Drive Nation), 2026 four-star point guard Anthony Brown Jr. (Oxon Hill, Md.-based Team Durant), 2026 four-star small forward Vaughn Karvala (Milwaukee-based Team Herro) and 2026 four-star power forward/center Asher Elson (Renaissance Hoops).
Additionally, four members of the Phoenix-based Arizona Unity in the EYBL league have offers from Syracuse basketball. They are 2027 five-star power forward/center Paul Osaruyi, 2026 four-star big man Aliou Dioum, 2026 four-star point guard Miles Sadler and 2026 four-star guard Rokiem Green.