Recruit of the Week: Justin Taylor

A look inside the game and recruitment of one of Syracuse basketball's top targets.

Recruit of the Week: Justin Taylor (2022)

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

Height/Weight: 6-6, 200 lbs

School: St. Anne's-Belfield School (Charlottesville, VA)

Recruiting Status: Uncommitted

Other Notable Offers: Butler, Georgetown, Indiana, Marquette, Maryland, NC State, Virginia Tech

The Player: "Really intriguing," Sports Illustrated Director of Basketball Recruiting Jason Jordan said. "I think Justin is one of those guys that would have blown up. He blew up anyway, but he would have really done well this summer as far as becoming a household name and on social media. The things kids care about. Honestly the things that make a player more marketable. I think this summer would have been big for him. .

"It ended up being big for him. He was one of the guys we are putting in our pandemic stock risers volume. Guys that raised their stock despite the pandemic. Throwing salt in the game against consistent competition. He was going to run with Team Takeover this summer. That's the EYBL and Team Takeover's one of the best teams in the EYBL. And they're a system team... and he's a system player but what makes him intriguing is obviously his size. He's 6-6. 

"We can break down specifics and stuff, but at the end of the day he's a shot maker. He's just really crafty, not super athletic, but crafty in how he gets his shot off. What I like about him is he doesn't waste movement. He recognizes matchups very well. High basketball IQ type guy. But at the end of the day he's making shots on all three levels. He's going to get to the basket. Really thrives in one and two dribble pull-ups. He's great in the pick and pop. Just knows how to make shots, knows where to get to make shots. Uses his space well and really good with pace as well. I really like his game."

The Recruitment: "It's still early for him," Jordan said. "He's starting to hear from blue bloods. Obviously (Syracuse) is up there. He said Syracuse is prioritizing him. Wake Forest, a couple others, Indiana is in there. But he's really dedicated to taking his time with the process. So I wouldn't expect big news from him anytime soon. What he talked about with me was looking at next summer and how that could affect his recruitment. He's talking about next summer affecting his recruitment, think about it like that. 

"I'll say this, Syracuse prioritizing him now is something he specifically spoke about, them and a couple others schools. They're (Syracuse) very strong with him as of right now. He's very close with G-Mac, talked about their relationship a lot. He really loves the staff there. He said on Zoom calls they showed him videos about who he could be in their system. They showed him Malachi Richardson and Joe Girard and guys like that. That really resonated with him.

"He's the recruit that the marketing would've been big this summer, especially with Team Takeover. I can only imagine where he would be if we played the EYBL this summer. I think he's that guy. It's still working out for him, so that's great. It's still very new to him, so he's just taking it all in stride. But I think Syracuse is very strong with him."