Over the next few months, as summer turns to fall and recruiting picks up steam in hoops, various Syracuse basketball four-star and five-star targets will travel to Central New York to visit the Orange program.
The visits actually began on August 29, with 2027 five-star power forward and top-15 national prospect Zion Green taking an unofficial visit to the 'Cuse, a source confirmed to me. Dushawn London, a 247Sports national analyst, had this news first.
The 6-foot-8 Green picked up a scholarship offer from the Orange staff last summer. He is a rising junior at Camden High School in Camden, N.J., and hails from the Philadelphia area.
Other four-star and five-star recruits who are visiting Syracuse basketball.
Dakari Spear
The 2026 four-star shooting guard and top-60 national prospect from Texas will officially visit the Orange during the weekend that begins on September 5, a source tells me. The 6-foot-4 Spear, offered by the 'Cuse staff this past October, has a final five of Syracuse basketball, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. Spear is a rising senior at the powerhouse Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas.
Deron Rippey Jr.
The 2026 five-star point guard and top-10 national prospect from New York City will officially visit the 'Cuse during the weekend that starts on September 26, I first reported back in July. The 6-foot-2 Rippey, out of the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., was offered by the Orange in late August of 2023. In late February of last year, he took an unofficial visit to the Hill. Rippey has a top 12 of Syracuse basketball, Alabama, Duke, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, N.C. State, Tennessee and Texas.
Vaughn Karvala
The 2026 four-star wing/small forward and top-30 national prospect will take his official visit to the Orange during the same weekend as Rippey, a source has confirmed to me. Analyst Mike McAllister of 247Sports reported on this first. The 6-foot-7 Karvala, from Wisconsin, will spend his senior season at CIA Bella Vista in Phoenix. He picked up a 'Cuse offer not long after he unofficially visited Syracuse basketball last November.
Asher Elson
The 2026 four-star big man and top-115 national prospect from New York City will officially visit the Orange during the weekend that commences on October 10, per a source. The 6-foot-10 Elson, offered by Syracuse basketball in April of last year, suits up in the Atlanta-based professional league Overtime Elite. London, of 247Sports, reported on Elson's trip to the 'Cuse first.
So who else in the 2026 class might officially visit Syracuse basketball in the coming months? Keep an eye on these four names:
•Five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. of St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., who has the 'Cuse in his top six and unofficially visited the Orange last September. He has said he wants to officially visit all his finalists before making a college decision.
•Four-star center Aliou Dioum of CIA Bella Vista in Phoenix, who has a top six of Syracuse basketball, Illinois, Mississippi State, UNLV, Wake Forest and West Virginia.
•Five-star guard/small forward Alex Constanza of the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, who officially visited the Orange last October. His dad has told me that Constanza may visit the 'Cuse again.
•Four-star power forward MJ Madison, who recently transferred to Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and expressed an interest in visiting Syracuse basketball earlier this year.