Syracuse basketball 2026 priority target Vaughn Karvala, one of the fastest-rising prospects in his class of late, is on the move.
The four-star wing/small forward from Wisconsin revealed via his Instagram page that he will transfer to a powerhouse high school program for his senior year. That team is CIA Bella Vista in Phoenix, which was a top-10 national team in the 2024-25 campaign and is expected to be among the country's elite again in the 2025-26 term.
Karvala is headed to the Bears from Oregon High School in Oregon, Wis., where he put forth an award-winning junior stanza. This spring, he has starred on the AAU circuit for the 17U squad of the Milwaukee-based Team Herro in Nike's EYBL league.
Last November, Karvala unofficially visited the Orange, landing a scholarship offer from the 'Cuse shortly thereafter. Not too long ago, top national analyst/scout Jamie Shaw of On3 confirmed to me that Karvala may take an official visit to Syracuse basketball at some point.
In an X post on Friday, Karvala told top recruiting analyst Sam Kayser that those schools he's hearing from the most these days include the Orange, Missouri, Xavier, Virginia Tech and Nebraska.
Syracuse basketball 2026 target Vaughn Karvala is a huge stock riser, experts say.
When 247Sports recently updated its 2026 national rankings, Karvala made one of the largest jumps across the country, arriving inside the top 45 overall. Besides the 'Cuse, his offer sheet includes teams such as Arizona State, Iowa, Marquette, Ole Miss, Xavier and Wisconsin, while Tennessee and Oregon are also in contact with Karvala.
Last fall, four players on CIA Bella Vista's 2024-25 roster secured scholarship offers from the Orange. They are 2026 four-star point guard Miles Sadler, 2026 four-star guard Rokiem Green, 2026 four-star center Aliou Dioum and 2027 five-star big man Paul Osaruyi.
Last season, per MaxPreps, the Bears went 21-7 overall and reached early April's Chipotle Nationals in Fishers, Ind., near Indianapolis. CIA Bella Vista competes in arguably the nation's premier high school hoops league, the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic ("EYBL Scholastic").
In 2024-25, the EYBL Scholastic included 14 teams. For the upcoming campaign, it has added the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Alex Constanza, a 2026 five-star guard/small forward and Syracuse basketball recruit, recently transferred to Spire from the Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Other EYBL Scholastic members whose rosters include prospects with Orange scholarship offers are Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., and the Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah.
Syracuse basketball targets at Long Island Lutheran include 2026 four-star power forward MJ Madison and 2027 five-star wing/forward Moussa Kamissoko. Last month, the 'Cuse offered 2026 four-star combo guard Katrelle Harmon, a rising senior at Wasatch.