Syracuse basketball watched a bunch of top 4-star, 5-star targets during live period

This past weekend, Syracuse basketball coaches were out and about at various locations checking in on four-star and five-star recruiting targets across several cycles as a live period transpired on the shoe-sponsored AAU circuits.

As I noted in another column late last week, Nike's EYBL league was in North Augusta, S.C., the Adidas 3SSB league took to Rock Hill, S.C., the Under Armour Association ("UAA") league could be found in the Atlanta area, and Puma's PRO16 league was in Richmond, Va.

According to my sources, media reports and posts on X from national writers, analysts and scouts, the Orange staff was in attendance for a bevy of prospects who already hold 'Cuse scholarship offers as well as high school players who Syracuse basketball coaches are currently evaluating.

I want to stress that this column isn't meant to be fully comprehensive. There are likely numerous other prospects who were watched by the Orange that I simply don't know about at this time.

Syracuse basketball was in for these four-star and five-star targets.

Deron Rippey Jr., 2026 five-star point guard
New York-based New Heights in the Adidas 3SSB league
Deron's dad confirmed to me that the Orange was in for his son. Rippey, as I first reported late last week, has set an official visit to Syracuse basketball for late September.

Jordan Smith Jr., 2026 five-star shooting guard
Washington-based Team Takeover in Nike's EYBL league
Smith and Rippey are two of the Orange's top targets in the 2026 class. Smith unofficially visited the 'Cuse last September and may take a second trip to the Hill at some point.

Alex Constanza, 2026 five-star guard/small forward
Marietta, Ga.-based Team Scoot in Puma's PRO16 league
Constanza's dad confirmed to me via text message that Syracuse basketball head coach Adrian Autry and assistant coach Allen Griffin were in for Constanza this past weekend.

Maximo Adams, 2026 four-star small forward
Las Vegas-based Vegas Elite in Nike's EYBL league
Adams picked up a 'Cuse offer last month and is highly interested in taking an official visit to the Orange this fall, one of his AAU coaches has told me.

Abdou Toure, 2026 five-star wing
Boston-based BABC in the Adidas 3SSB league
The Orange offered a scholarship to Toure last summer, and this past weekend, Autry was in attendance for him.

Christian Collins, 2026 five-star forward
Los Angeles-based Team Why Not in Nike's EYBL league
The 'Cuse offered Collins last weekend and was in attendance for him during the live period.

Quinn Costello, 2026 four-star wing/power forward
Boston-based Middlesex Magic in the UAA league
In June, Syracuse basketball offered the fast-rising Costello, and the 'Cuse staff was on hand for him this past weekend.

Qayden Samuels, 2026 five-star wing
Washington-based Team Takeover in Nike's EYBL league
Samuels holds a 'Cuse offer, and the Orange staff watched Samuels and Smith with Team Takeover during the live period.

Asher Elson, 2026 four-star power forward/center
New York-based New Heights in the Adidas 3SSB league
Elson secured an offer from Syracuse basketball in April of 2024. It's not clear how aggressively the Orange is recruiting him these days, but the 'Cuse was in attendance for New Heights amid the live period.

Multiple prospects with the Phoenix-based Arizona Unity in Nike's EYBL league
•2026 four-star center Aliou Dioum (holds an SU offer)
•2026 five-star combo guard Brandon McCoy
•2026 four-star point guard Miles Sadler (holds an SU offer)
•2026 four-star guard Rokiem Green (holds an SU offer)
•2027 five-star big man Paul Osaruyi (holds an SU offer)

Jacob Lanier, 2026 four-star wing
Houston-based Gulf Coast Blue Chips in the UAA league
Analysts say that the Orange staff was in attendance for Lanier over the weekend.

Ryan Moesch, 2026 four-star point guard
Boston-based Middlesex Magic in the UAA league
The 'Cuse has shown an interest in Moesch for a while, and Syracuse basketball watched him and Costello during the live period.

Tai Bell, 2028 four-star point guard
Pembroke Pines, Fla.-based SOH Elite in the UAA league.
Bell was offered by the Orange earlier this month, and my guy Zach Smart, a top national writer, reports that Syracuse basketball watched the top-25 national prospect during the live period.

Baba Oladotun, 2027 five-star forward
Oxon Hill, Md.-based Team Durant in Nike's EYBL league.
The nation's No. 1 prospect in this class received a 'Cuse scholarship offer in late June of 2024. Autry was on hand for a Team Durant game this past weekend, although I'm not sure how much of a player Syracuse basketball is in Oladotun's recruitment these days.

Four other EYBL prospects who I'll mention here are 2026 four-star wing/small forward Vaughn Karvala of the Milwaukee-based Team Herro, 2026 four-star shooting guard Dakari Spear of the Irving, Texas-based Drive Nation, 2026 four-star power forward MJ Madison of the Albany, N.Y.-based City Rocks and 2027 four-star point guard Anderson Diaz of the New York City-based Renaissance Hoops.

Before this weekend's live period, I was told by a source that the Syracuse basketball staff would be watching Karvala, who will officially visit the program in late September, Spear and Madison. Diaz, meanwhile, landed a 'Cuse scholarship offer on July 13, he disclosed via his X page.