Ducharme to Xavier: Where Syracuse Goes From Here
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Syracuse basketball missed on shooting guard target Reid Ducharme on Thursday. So where does the Orange go from here in the 2023 cycle?
GUARDS
The thing to remember about recruiting guards this cycle is that Syracuse landed three in the 2022 class. That has hurt the Orange in its recruitment of Elmarko Jackson, Elijah Gertrude and Reid Ducharme. It is something other schools are using to negatively recruit against Syracuse, and it is working. If the Orange wants to land a guard in 2023, it must find a way to combat the message that the backcourt is too crowded.
That said, it is possible Syracuse does not take a guard. Quadir Copeland and Justin Taylor are likely to return, while Judah Mintz may or may not depending upon how strong of a freshman season he puts together. If all three do, Syracuse has adequate guard depth for the 2023-24 season. One more would be ideal, but the Orange could also look to the portal for a young option there as well. If Mintz leaves, a guard in this class (or portal) becomes important as Syracuse would only have two guards on the roster.
Who is Syracuse targeting in the 2023 cycle with Ducharme off the board? The most prominent name is Mike Williams out of Bishop Walsh High in Maryland. Williams will officially visit Syracuse on September 16th, along with trips to Clemson, DePaul, LSU and Wake Forest over the next two months. The Orange likes Williams a lot and thinks he has the potential to be a strong multi-year contributor for them.
There are other guards on the Syracuse radar as well, including Vasean Allette out of Thornlea Secondary School in Canada. If Syracuse misses on Williams and Allette is still available, the Orange could elect to pursue. Or, they could go in another direction. However, the primary focus in the cycle is in the front court.
FRONT COURT
The expectation is that JP Estrella will choose Tennessee over Syracuse and Iowa. Assuming that comes to fruition, Syracuse will go back to the drawing board in order to find a big in the 2023 class. Specifically, Syracuse would like someone who can play center and power forward. That versatility will help with roster construction and potential rotation in 2023-24. With the expected departure of Jesse Edwards after the season, the starting center position is wide open. Minutes are available. That should be attractive to recruits. While there are no new names publicly available right now, Syracuse has logs on the fire so to speak. Stay tuned.