Syracuse Basketball: Top 2025 targets for ‘Cuse after pledge by 5-star Sadiq White Jr.

Syracuse basketball has its first 2025 verbal commit after five-star forward Sadiq White Jr. from Charlotte, N.C., recently pledged to the Orange, a huge first pick-up for the ‘Cuse coaching staff.

With the 6-foot-8 White on board, Orange coaches will turn their attention to a variety of other 2025 four-star prospects who are priority recruits for the team in the rising high school senior cycle.

While, to date, Syracuse basketball has offered scholarships to more than 20 players in the 2025 class, it does appear that the ‘Cuse staff is honing in on a handful of prospects in this cycle.

I’m hopeful that Syracuse basketball landing a commitment from White, a consensus top-35 national prospect in his class, will help facilitate the Orange securing other 2025 pledges in the coming months.

Kiyan Anthony
It all starts with Anthony, the four-star shooting guard out of New York City. He was offered a scholarship by the ‘Cuse in November of 2022 and took an official visit to the Hill last October. Syracuse basketball is getting some analyst buzz on recruiting Web sites for Anthony, although he recently stated that he wants to take some upcoming visits, including another trip to Central New York.

Tyler Jackson
The four-star point guard from Baltimore, for one, is good friends with Anthony, and they’ve played together this spring on the AAU circuit for the 17U squad of the Baltimore-based Team Melo in Nike’s EYBL league. Jackson, offered by the ‘Cuse in late April of last year, took an official visit to Syracuse basketball in late January of this year. He recently said that he regularly talks to the Syracuse basketball staff, but Jackson is also eyeing some additional campus visits.

Acaden Lewis
The four-star combo guard from Washington, D.C., is a fast-rising 2025 prospect. He is garnering interest from several blue-blood programs while seeing his offer sheet grow. Offered by the Orange in late April of this year, Lewis has said that he will visit Syracuse basketball soon. If I had to venture a guess, I’d say that Lewis and Jackson are the top-two targets for the ‘Cuse staff at the point guard/combo guard positions.

Shon Abaev
The four-star small forward from Florida is also a relatively newer recruit for Syracuse basketball, receiving an Orange offer in late April of 2024. Last month, the ‘Cuse staff checked out Abaev during a live period on the AAU circuit, and reports indicate that Orange coaches are in consistent contact with him. He has said that Syracuse basketball is on his list of teams that he would like to visit in the coming months.

London Jemison
The four-star wing/small forward from Connecticut was offered by SU in late September of last year. Near the end of December, 2023, he took an official visit to Syracuse basketball, and it’s his only official visit to date. The ‘Cuse staff watched him last month on the AAU circuit amid a spring evaluation period. He has spoken highly of the Orange, although Jemison continues to see his offer list expand, and I assume he’ll visit other suitors at some point.

Dante Allen
The four-star shooting guard from Florida, who recently said that he would spend his senior year at the country’s top-ranked high school program, picked up a ‘Cuse offer in late April of this year. He has said more than once of late that the Orange is among the squads recruiting him the hardest these days, and Syracuse basketball was in attendance for him during last month’s live period. I’ll be curious whether Allen ends up taking a visit to Central New York.

Keyshuan Tillery
The four-star Tillery is likely the other top target at point guard for Syracuse basketball in the 2025 cycle. The Albany, N.Y., native was offered by the ‘Cuse in late August of last year, around the time that he went on an unofficial visit to the Hill to compete in the Orange’s annual Elite Camp. In May, during the live period, Syracuse basketball watched at least one of Tillery’s games, and he could take an official visit to ‘Cuse at some point. Tillery has proven a top AAU performer this spring for the City Rocks in Nike’s EYBL league, and he’s disclosed several new scholarship offers in recent days via his X page.

Ryder Frost
In late May, the Orange offered a scholarship to this three-star wing from Massachusetts, who is one of the hottest prospects in the 2025 class amid the spring AAU circuit. Beyond the ‘Cuse, in recent weeks, Frost has secured a ton of new offers while playing at an ultra-high level for the 17U team of the Boston-based Middlesex Magic in the Under Armour Association league. Frost is highly interested in visiting Syracuse basketball, and he should move to at least four stars in the near future.

Asher Elson
The fast-rising, three-star big man from New York City picked up a ‘Cuse scholarship offer in mid-April of this year, one of at least five 2025 offers doled out by the Orange staff since then. Elson is an emerging power forward/center who has earned high marks from analysts and scouts for his recent play in AAU events. Experts have told me he will likely reach four stars, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if his offer sheet balloons sooner rather than later. My assumption is that Syracuse basketball coaches will work to get Elson on the SU campus for a visit at some point.

These prospects noted above are my best guess at some of the key 2025 targets for the ‘Cuse staff these days. That being said, I’ll certainly monitor whether the Orange makes additional offers to rising high school seniors in the coming weeks and beyond.