Jim Boeheim has said it’s the best class he’s ever recruited, and some say it could be the best class in college basketball. One thing is for certain: Syracuse’s 2015 recruiting class is exciting.
The Orange has four different 4-star recruits signed onto Boeheim’s 2015-2016 squad, and landing an interested 5-star recruit in Thomas Bryant would be the cherry on top of what is already a top-caliber recruiting class.
How exactly do the Orange do it? Syracuse is obviously a basketball powerhouse, but what makes recruits come here over any of the other powerhouses, and why the success this year in particular?
A few things make Syracuse, now more than ever, a prime landing spot for recruits.
Jim Boeheim:
Plenty of schools have great coaches to offer, but not quite as many have Hall-of-Famers at the helm. Other coaches aspire to be Boeheim, and even recruits that don’t know Boeheim know that a coach with 950 wins must be doing something right.
Coaching reputation aside, Boeheim knows how to recruit. I’ve never had the privilege to hear the Boeheim sales pitch (my scholarship offer must have gotten lost in the mail), but the record shows that Boeheim knows how to get the best players to sign on the dotted line. College basketball coaches don’t get an offseason, and Boeheim is one of the best both on and off the court.
Constant Exposure:
No school can offer the same experience that players will get in Syracuse. The Carrier Dome is constantly breaking it’s own record for highest attendance at an on-campus game, and the Orange have been in the top 4 in season attendance since 1982.
The Dome may make the in-game environment unbeatable, but it’s playing in the ACC that brings consistent national media attention. Syracuse has three other Hall of Fame coaches in the conference, and the ACC is always in the discussion for the best conference in college basketball. Players looking for a stepping stone to the NBA can find a sturdy foothold here.
25-0:
Last year was special. Syracuse put together one of the most exciting seasons in recent history, and in the process caught the attention of recruits across the country. The year obviously didn’t end as planned, but the spotlight that was on the team for the majority of the season did enough to draw in talented prospects. NCAA basketball has a “rich get richer” theme. The teams that succeed get the best players, and the Orange has been succeeding.
No matter how it happened, Syracuse is looking at one of the most talented teams in the nation come next season. Combining the top shelf recruits with players that will return from this year’s team make the future very bright on the hill. It’s good to be Orange.
Posted:  Nathan Dickinson
