Indiana 2023 Target Xavier Booker Jumps 87 Spots to No. 4 in Latest Recruiting Rankings

Cathedral High School power forward Xavier Booker rose 87 spots to No. 4 in the latest 247Sports recruiting rankings. Booker has an offer from Indiana, and could potentially join Indiana's sixth-ranked 2023 recruiting class that features Jakai Newton and Gabe Cupps.

Indiana class of 2023 recruiting target Xavier Booker made a massive leap in the latest 247Sports recruiting rankings, moving from No. 91 to No. 4 in the nation.

Booker is a 6-foot-10, 205-pound forward from Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, Ind. This jump also moves him from a four-star to a five-star recruit. Booker is listed as the No. 1 player in the state of Indiana and the No. 2 power forward in the nation behind GG Jackson, the top player in the class of 2023 who is committed to North Carolina. 

There were MULTIPLE D1 Head Coaches in attendance today at UAA watching 6'10" Xavier Booker 😳 pic.twitter.com/uDlNPjxvnt

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 9, 2022

With two guards committed, Booker would be a massive addition for Indiana. Not only is he considered one of the best players in the country, but he'd help Indiana replace Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, who will be gone after next season in all likelihood. 

Booker would be Indiana's first player from Cathedral High School since Armaan Franklin, who was part of the 2019 recruiting class alongside Jackson-Davis. Franklin spent two seasons at Indiana before transferring to Virginia before his junior season. 

Booker currently holds offers from 23 schools, according to 247Sports. Other Big Ten schools to offer Booker include, Michigan State, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue. Booker has taken official visits to Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State and Kansas State. 

“I learned a lot about the campus atmosphere and the academic side," Booker said in an interview with On3. "I already knew about them athletically; they are a good program. They have a new coach, Coach (Mike) Woodson. He is a really down-to-earth dude who cares about his team. I got an inside look and met with people on the campus and academic advisors.”

It appears Michigan State might be the favorite as of now, but Booker is starting to draw more national interest as his stock continues to rise.

“I am talking to Duke really heavy right now,” Booker said in an interview with On3. “They should come in and offer soon; at least, that is what I am hoping. I mean, it’s Duke.”

It is still very early in the recruiting process as just nine of the top 25 players have committed to schools, but Indiana's 2023 recruiting class currently ranks sixth in the nation. Indiana has commitments from No. 80 Jakai Newton, a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Covington, Ga. and No. 107 Gabe Cupps, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Dayton, Ohio for the class of 2023. Newton rose 30 spots while Cupps dropped 17 spots in the latest rankings.

Other Indiana 2023 targets to note include small forwards Coen Carr, Jamie Kaiser and Andrej Stojakovic, the son of Peja Stojakovic. Andrej, a rose 78 spots to No. 25 in the latest rankings. Carr, from Greenville, S.C., jumped 95 spots to No. 62. Kaiser is the No. 78 player in the class and is from Alexandria, Va. 

Indiana has also offered power forwards Kwame Evans Jr., TJ Power and Bloomington native JaQualon Roberts. Evans was once considered the top player in his class, but he dropped slightly to No. 8. Evans was teammates with Indiana 2022 commits Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau at Montverde Academy. Power rose 65 spot to No. 56 and hails from Worcester, Mass. Roberts is a three-star recruit, holding other Power Five offers from Butler, Iowa and Marquette.

Arrinten Page, a 6-foot-9 center from Marrieta, Ga., also holds an Indiana offer. Page was unranked in the last rankings, but is now the No. 59 player in his class. Indiana has also offered 6-foot-4 combo guard Freddie Dilione from Raleigh, N.C., who rose 67 spots to No. 75 in the latest rankings.