Syracuse men’s basketball: the latest news on the recruiting trail and who the Orange are targeting

A quick check in at how things are looking on the recruitment front.

A new year means plenty of work to do for the Syracuse Orange to bring in the next future pieces for the program.

Syracuse enters 2025 on a strong note on the recruiting front. The Orange’s recruitment class of 2025 — which to date includes a pair of both four-stars (Sadiq White Jr. and Kiyan Anthony) and three-stars (Luke Fennell and Aaron Womack) — currently ranks No. 8 overall per 247Sports and No. 25 per On3.

There is still room for additions in 2025 but the focus especially now will also be on the class of 2026, with Syracuse showing some clear interest in a few notable recruits out there. As discussed previously, “swinging for the fences” seems to be the strategy for Syracuse recruitment that coach Adrian Autry is going with. There are plenty of high-ranked names the Orange are definitely eyeing and will be taking their chances on.

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To recap, here are the noteworthy names fans should keep an eye on over the next few months:

Keiner Asprilla: four-star center from the class of 2026. Confirmed with On3’s Joe Tipton that he’s hearing the most from Syracuse along with Kansas, Auburn, Illinois, Seton Hall and Villanova. Per On3, Asprilla is the No. 2 ranked center and third-best prospect from New Jersey in 2026.

Qayden Samuels: four-star guard in the 2026 class. Confirmed with Zagsblog that he’s consistently hearing from Syracuse, Georgetown, Rutgers, Villanova, Washington, Alabama and Florida State. Ranked No. 16 overall in the class, per On3.

Deron Rippey Jr.: four-star point guard in 2026 from Brooklyn, NY. Told On3 he’s seen consistency in recruitment from Syracuse, among other very notable programs. Ranked No. 20 overall in 2026, per On3.

Alex Constanza: Ranked No. 13 overall and recently took a visit from Syracuse, although the On. 3 commit status meter puts Miami (FL) and Illinois out in front right now.

Those are the notable “big fish” Syracuse has found its way in the recruitment news cycle.

Syracuse in total has offered 13 players from the class of 2026 according to On3. That full list includes four point guards, four shooting guards and three small forwards.

Another name to keep an eye on is three-star wing Vaughn Karvala from Oregon, Wisconsin. He has already received an offer from Syracuse and the Orange appear to be on the inside track for him.

The somewhat long-shot that would be insane if it turned into a commitment is five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr. from Fairfax, Virginia. Duke is currently the favorite (55%), but Syracuse (13%) is at least in the running. Smith Jr. is also the only recruit on the list of 13 class of 2026 players who ranks as a five-star.

The full list of 2026 recruits who have been offered by the Orange include:

• Point guards Rippey Jr., Miles Sadler (four-star) and Neiko Mundey (four-star)
• Four-star shooting guards Samuels, Abdou Toure, Dakari Spear, Prince-Alexander Moody and Smith Jr.
• Karvala, Constanza and four-star wing Maximo Adams

One last note on recruitment to keep in mind going forward will be the size of the roster. Sam previously made this important mention when news got out that Syracuse was interested in Brown graduate transfer Nana Owusu-Anane: starting in the 2025-26 season, scholarships for D1 men’s basketball schools will increase from 13 to 15. Considering there will be both transfer portal additions and losses, recruitment will still play a substantial role especially with a few extra spots available Autry and other D1 coaches can now use.

Looking at the state of Syracuse’s roster, here are the big things to keep in mind:

• There will be 11 players under scholarship heading into the 2025-26 season (listed in alphabetical order by last name): Chris Bell, Kyle Cuffe Jr., Donnie Freeman, Petar Majstorovic, Elijah Moore, J.J. Starling and Chance Westry are the projected returning players. This assumes no one listed enters the transfer portal or declares for the draft.
• The list of scholarship players in 2025-26 also include the 2025 recruitment class: Anthony, Fennell, White Jr. and Womack.
• Departures after 2024-25 due to eligibility will be Jaquan Carlos, Jyáre Davis, Eddie Lampkin Jr., Naheem McLeod and Lucas Taylor.
• Autry and the staff will have at least four scholarships at their disposal to fill up for 2025-26.

There will be plenty more developments on the recruiting trail over the next few months and we’ll continue to make sure to keep you up to date on the latest news going forward.