Recruit of the Week: Syracuse Women's Basketball's 2021 Class

Syracuse signs yet another elite recruiting class.

One of the best sports stories in Central New York over the last decade is the turnaround of Syracuse's women's basketball program. In the four years before head coach Quentin Hillsman took over, Syracuse went 38-73. They were a perennial doormat in the Big East. Syracuse won 22 games under Hillsman in just his second year. Syracuse had three total NCAA Tournament appearances prior to Hillsman, being blown out in each appearance. Hillsman has taken Syracuse to the NCAA Tournament eight times in his 13 seasons with nine victories. 

A key factor in that turnaround has been recruiting. Under Hillsman's direction, Syracuse has been one of the best recruiting programs in women's college basketball. He has recruited the only McDonald's All-Americans in program history, including Brittney Sykes and Briana Butler in the 2012 class. That pair helped lead the Orange to the National Championship game in 2016. Hillsman has helped the Orange sign seven McDonald's All Americans in total to date. 

The 2021 class, which totals five players that all signed during the early period, is the latest example of that recruiting momentum. The class is ranked 11th in the nation by ESPN, and includes four players ranked in the top 100. Here is a look at each. 

F Latasha Lattimore

Rating/Ranking (per ESPN HoopGurlz): 4-stars, #38 overall, #6 forward

School: Crestwood Secondary (Ontario, Canada)

Height: 6-4

Other Offers: Baylor, California, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA

Stats: 17.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks as a senior

Coach Hillsman Quote (via Syracuse Athletics): "Latasha is a typical hybrid player. She can play the 2 through the 5 for us. She can shoot the ball from the perimeter, she can put the ball on the floor and play at the rim, and she has the ability to create for her teammates. That is going to make her really tough to guard in our offense with spacing."

G Shayeann Day-Wilson

Rating/Ranking: 4-star, #41 overall, #9 point guard

School: Crestwood Secondary (Ontario, Canada)

Height: 5-5

Other Offers: Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame 

Stats: 13.2 points, 5.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds as a junior

Coach Hillsman Quote: "Shayeann is a very explosive guard. She plays fast, she plays up-tempo, she plays our way. She can score the ball on all three levels and she is going to be a fantastic point guard in our system."

F Amani Bartlett

Rating/Ranking: 4-star, #51 overall, #12 forward

School: Houston Christian (Houston, TX)

Height: 6-3

Other Offers: Houston, Florida State, LSU, Oklahoma, SMU, Tennessee, Texas A&M

Awards: 2019-20 SPC Most Valuable Player, 2020 VYPE Private School Player of the Year, 2019-20 SPC First Team.

Coach Hillsman Quote: "Amani is a super athlete. She plays up on the rim and runs from end-to-end as fast as anybody in the country. She is super athletic. She will have a chance to come into our system and play fast in our offense and equally as fast in our defense."

G Nyah Wilson

Rating/Ranking: 4-star, #99 overall, #42 guard

School: Duncanville High School (Duncanville, TX)

Height: 5-8

Other Offers: Harvard, Howard, Tennessee State, Texas Tech, Wichita State

Coach Hillsman Quote: "Nyah is a combo guard that can play both of our positions. She can shoot the ball from the perimeter and can guard all perimeter spots. Her special quality is her leadership and the way she can run a team."

G Julianna Walker

Rating/Ranking: NR

School: Annie Wright High School

Height: 5-5

Stats: 35.6 points, 4.9 assists, 7.7 steals as a senior

Coach Hillsman Quote: "Julianna is just a prolific scorer. She really shoots the ball from the perimeter; she will be a natural floor spacer in our offense. She is going to be the kind of player that can make seven, eight threes a game if you let her get loose."