Syracuse basketball in pursuit of 4-star PG Tai Bell, son of former NBA defensive star

Syracuse basketball coaches are heading to the Sunshine State for one of their latest offers in the 2028 class.

Per his X account, 2028 four-star point guard and top-25 national prospect Tai Bell has picked up a scholarship offer from the Orange staff. A huge congrats from 'Cuse Nation to Tai!

The 6-foot-3 Bell is a standout at the Mater Lakes Academy in Hialeah, Fla., near Miami, and with the 16U team of the Pembroke Pines, Fla.-based SOH Elite in the Under Armour Association ("UAA") league.

It's extremely early in the recruiting process of 2028 prospects, who are rising sophomores in high school. That being said, Bell has already secured offers from Syracuse basketball, St. Bonaventure, Florida A&M, Dayton, Kansas State, USF, Florida State, Jacksonville, Old Dominion and Florida International, according to his X account and recruiting services.

Syracuse basketball has made several offers to 2028 players.

As a freshman at Mater Lakes during the 2024-25 campaign, Bell averaged 25.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals per game, per MaxPreps. He received an honorable mention nod to the MaxPreps 2024-25 freshman All-American teams.

Bell, by the way, comes from quite the athletic family. His dad is shooting guard Raja Bell, who played in the NBA for more than a decade and was a defensive star in the league. Bell's older brother is Dia Bell, a 2026 five-star quarterback who is verbally committed to Texas.

Within the 2028 class, ESPN currently places Tai Bell at No. 25 overall, No. 7 at shooting guard and No. 3 in Florida.

In April and May, during two spring sessions on the UAA circuit, Bell earned praise from national analysts and scouts for his performances. In seven contests, Bell averaged 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.7 steals per contest while making 48 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line.

Last month, Bell also was deemed a top performer at a prestigious annual showcase, the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas.

To date, beyond Bell, the Orange has offered scholarships to a handful of other 2028 prospects, such as five-star shooting guard Colton Hiller of Coatesville Area High School in Coatesville, Pa., small forward Will Brunson of the Rutgers Preparatory School in Somerset, N.J., four-star wing Xavier Skipworth of the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., and point guard Tyylon Ennis of Pearland High School in Pearland, Texas.