Where Syracuse basketball is watching 4-star, 5-star targets during scholastic live period

This weekend, Syracuse basketball coaches and their peers can watch high school prospects in person during the first of two upcoming scholastic live periods over the next two weekends.

From June 20 to June 22 and then again from June 27 to June 29, there are NCAA-permitted live periods, when players are suiting up for their high school programs, hence why it's called a scholastic live period.

This differs slightly from other NCAA-allowed live periods this past spring and again in July when prospects are competing for their AAU squads.

A source confirmed to me on Friday that, this weekend, the Orange staff will be in three locations: Allentown, Pa., Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C., area.

Which high school prospects might Syracuse basketball be watching this weekend?

The Mid-Atlantic Independent School team camp is holding a scholastic live period event each of the next two weekends at the Executive Education Academy Charter School in Allentown.

Based on a post via X, two schools that Orange recruiting fans should pay attention to here are the Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., and the Lawrence Woodmere Academy in Woodmere, N.Y. A standout rising senior at Blair is 2026 five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr., although is dad tells me that his son won't play this weekend but will be available next weekend.

Rippey, a top-20 national prospect from New York City, just wrapped up a stellar week of competition at the USA Basketball U19 national team training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he was named a finalist. Orange assistant coach Brenden Straughn was in attendance for a portion of these tryouts.

About a month ago, Syracuse basketball offered a scholarship to 2027 four-star big man Caleb Ourigou, who attends the Lawrence Woodmere Academy.

Heading over to Massachusetts, Babson College is hosting the NEPSAC ("New England Preparatory School Athletic Council") showcase. There are a ton of teams competing in this event, but a few for 'Cuse fans to keep an eye on include the CATS Academy in Boston, the Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., the Darrow School in New Lebanon, N.Y., and the Newman School in Boston.

I had a column earlier on Friday where I looked at the two dozen 2027 prospects who have heard from the Orange since the contact period for this class opened on June 15. Two of those players play at CATS, and they are four-star point guard Josiah Adamson and power forward/center Nicolas Mitrovic.

Over at Cushing, 2027 four-star center Theo Edema has heard from the 'Cuse since June 15, while 2026 four-star point guard Ryan Moesch has garnered interest from Syracuse basketball for a bit of time now.

TJ Allen, a 2027 guard with Darrow, has also been contacted by the Orange since June 15. Two Newman standouts are 2026 four-star wing/power forward Quinn Costello, who was offered by the 'Cuse not too long ago, and 2026 four-star combo guard Lucas Morillo, who a source has told me is on the Orange staff's radar.

Heading to our nation's capital, DMV Live is taking place just outside D.C., at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. The Washington region is a huge recruiting hotbed for the 'Cuse, so it's tough to gauge which prospects the team is watching.

A few participants at DMV Live to monitor are Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., the Bullis School in Potomac, Md., Mt. Zion Prep in Lanham, Md., the Prince George’s Christian Academy in Landover, Md., and the Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore.

Qayden Samuels, a 2026 five-star wing, picked up a 'Cuse offer last summer and is a standout at Bishop McNamara. I'm hoping that this top-10 national prospect visits the Hill at some point.

Earlier this month, the Orange offered a scholarship to 2028 four-star wing Xavier Skipworth, who had an All-American freshman season at Bullis in the 2024-25 term. Since the 2027 contact period opened, the 'Cuse has reached out to four-star point guard Jacob Canton, who will play for Mt. Zion Prep in 2025-26.

The Prince George’s Christian Academy roster includes 2026 four-star point guard Neiko Mundey, who was offered by the Orange nearly two years ago.

Saint Frances product Terrence Jones III, a 2027 guard, has heard from Syracuse basketball dating back to mid-May, amid a live period on the AAU circuit. At that time, the Orange staff was on hand in Memphis, Tenn., for a session in Nike’s EYBL league as Jones played for the 16U squad of the Baltimore-based Team Melo.

Two other programs to mention are St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., and the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. Both are listed on the DMV Live schedule. Syracuse basketball 2026 five-star targets Jordan Smith Jr. and Alex Constanza suit up for St. Paul VI and Spire, respectively, although it's not clear to me if either of these elite prospects is playing at DMV Live.