Syracuse basketball’s 2017 recruiting class is slim, and some people are worried Jim Boeheim hasn’t put together the talent he’ll need to compete in the 2017-18 season. But the Orange does have Oshae Brissett, the highest ranked player committed to the Orange. Yesterday,¬†247Sports put Brissett at No. 48 its final recruit rankings, giving the Orange a top 50 recruit for the first time this cycle. Brissett won’t be the only player SU needs to win next season, but it seems like every year we see a freshman come in and¬†change a team’s season. Can Brissett be that for the Orange, and how does he compare to the rest of the ACC’s top recruits? This isn’t a comparison of recruiting classes; this is a one-on-one matchup. My biggest get of the year against yours — who¬†has the best?
Top Recruits For ACC Teams (With Ranking)
Syracuse – Oshae Brissett (No. 48 on 24/7,Not Ranked on ESPN, Not Ranked on Scout)
As you can see, these rankings can be vary from site to site. Brissett is a top 50 recruit according to 24/7Sports, but isn’t in the top 100 on either ESPN or Scout.com. Syracuse fans already know Brissett; he was named Canada’s player of the year last week and was the first commit of the Orange’s 2017 class. Even if he does end up being a top 50 recruit, it won’t be close to best in the ACC.
Duke – Wendell Carter (24/7 – No. 2/ESPN – No. 4/Scout – No. 4)
It’s no surprise that Duke is at the top of this list. Wendell Carter is one of the best players in the country out of Atlanta, and he’ll have other help coming in with him. Duke has also signed top 10 recruit Gary Trent, and is in the running for both Kevin Knox and Mohamed Bomba. They are both top 10 recruits, according to ESPN. Duke already has the No. 4 recruiting class in the country and best in the ACC, and Carter leads the next generation of Duke talent.
Miami – Lonnie Walker (13/12/15)
Syracuse was hoping Lonnie Walker could help fill its holes at the guard position, but instead he chose Miami over SU and helped give the Hurricanes a top 10 recruiting class. Walker is the first five-star recruit to choose Miami since DeQuan Jones in 2008, and he’ll be expected to play like it from the start. Miami is losing its leading scorer in Davon Reed, and it will likely be Walker taking his spot in the starting lineup.
Louisville – Malik Williams (28/27/20)
Louisville is the third and final ACC team with a top 10 recruiting class, led by Malik Williams. Williams is a true center, listed at seven feet tall but only 200 pounds. That is a lot of weight to put on in a short amount of time. He’ll still be a force in the ACC with that height; Syracuse certainly doesn’t have anyone to stop a seven-footer.
North Carolina – Jalek Felton (35/26/27)
You could say this is a down year for North Carolina in recruiting, but the Tar Heels still have a talented class coming in. Jalek Felton, listed as a combo guard on 24/7, is going to have a lot of pressure to perform. UNC is the reigning national champs, but the Tar Heels could lose all of their top four scorers if Joel Berry goes pro. North Carolina’s season could hinge on the play of Felton and other freshmen.
Wake Forest – Chaundee Brown (36/31/37)
Wake barely beat out Syracuse for a spot in the NCAA Tournament this season, and the Demon Deacons will get better next season. Chaundee Brown is the best recruit to come to Wake Forest in a while. The Deacons didn’t have a commit in the top 150 last year, and haven’t had a top 50 recruit since Ari Stewart in 2009. Brown is a 6-5 guard out of Orlando who ACC fans can expect to see plenty of playing time next season.
The biggest basketball schools in the ACC (Duke, UNC, Louisville) have some of the best recruiting classes in the country, as they always do. But while the best of the conference continue to thrive, smaller schools are starting to get high-quality recruits of their own. Along with Wake Forest’s Chaundee Brown, Virginia Tech’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker (34/20/57), Notre Dame’s DJ Harvey (46/50/43) and Florida State’s Ikechukwu Obiagu (76/80/48) are all ranked higher than the Orange’s Brissett (48/NR/NR). NC State is getting aonther top 100 recruit (Lavar Batts) to help its outstanding 2016 class, and Clemson’s Aamir Simms (85/NR/NR) is the school’s first top 100 commit (at least in one ranking) since 2014. The ACC is the premiere conference for college basketball, and the top high school players in the country are taking notice. If you were hoping things would get easier for Syracuse in 2017, you are sadly mistaken.
Posted: Nathan Dickinson
