Syracuse’s 2017 basketball recruiting class has been begging for a headliner ever since Quade Green spurned the Orange and abandoned a group that still doesn’t include any four- or five-star players. Fortunately, the coaching carousel has left several blue-chip recruits searching for new homes, and Jim Boeheim is ready to pounce (hello, Tremont Waters).
One of the most sought-after recruits who decommitted after his destination school’s coach got fired is Jordan Tucker. After months of heavy pursuit from SU, the four-star swingman appeared to be locked in with Indiana earlier in the year, but scratched the Hoosiers off his list when Tom Crean got fired in mid-March. Now, Syracuse is back in the mix, along with Villanova, Oregon, and Georgia Tech.
Tucker confirmed his interest in the Orange this weekend, when he took an official visit to SU’s campus — and seemed pretty happy about it.
https://twitter.com/Therealjtucks/status/850811630241931266
Tucker had initially planned to visit Oregon this weekend, but changed his schedule on Wednesday. Tucker’s dad, Lew, told Syracuse.com that Jordan was previously going to make the trip to SU next weekend. Now, he’ll head to Eugene on April 21 and Georgia Tech April 28.
Tucker traveled to Central New York from Marietta, GA, where he spent the last year after moving from White Plains, NY. ESPN pegs the 6-foot-7, 205-pound Tucker as the ninth-best small forward and No. 40 player overall in the Class of 2017. With a lethal jumper he can knock down off the dribble or the catch, Tucker can work as the go-to guy or a spot-up shooter on offense. Defensively, his lack of elite lateral quickness may make it difficult for Tucker to defend ACC-caliber wings, but Boeheim’s 2-3 zone is the antidote to most individual defensive shortcomings.
Tucker would bolster a recruiting crop that badly needs bolstering. 247sports.com pegs Syracuse’s recruiting class as the 53rd-best in the nation — that’s the Orange’s lowest mark in the site’s rankings since 2009, when Boeheim’s only commitment came from Brandon Triche. OShae Brissett, a three-star forward from Canada, is currently the biggest name in this year’s group. He certainly carries a high ceiling, but Orange Nation’s concerns about the future would be at least partially assuaged by a signature from a four-star player. Tucker could be the one to fill that role.
