Syracuse’s recent track record with St. Johns hasn’t bode well. The Orange has lost to the lowly Red Storm in its last three meetings. Aside from that, the former Big East foe beat out SU for top 60 recruit Sidney Wilson. However, the Bronx native announced yesterday that he is transferring from St. Johns. This comes just one day after the Orange lost one of its key pieces in rising sophomore Taurean Thompson, who withdrew from the school.
Wilson was supposed to be a senior in high school this year, however he reclassified into the Class of 2017. He trimmed down his potential schools to six: Syracuse, St. Johns, UConn, Florida, Texas and Georgia Tech.
The small forward did enroll in summer classes at St. Johns, which means he must sit out for a season, per NCAA rules.
In a statement, Wilson said, “a lot has happened in my life over the last few years. These factors played a large part in my decision to stay close to home, but unfortunately I recently realized it was not what is best for me at this time to manage adversity in my life. I am grateful for the opportunity that St. John’s provided me and for the support of Coach [Chris] Mullin and the rest of the staff throughout this difficult process. In order for me to grow as a person and basketball player, I feel that I need to begin something new to explore what is next in my life. Although I know the grass isn’t always greener, this is a risk I am willing to take for personal reasons.”
Reading into this statement, Wilson did not see St. Johns as the most plausible route to elevate his basketball career. On the other hand, Syracuse could provide that. At least two Orange players have been selected in five of the last six years. The only gap in that span is this last season where only Tyler Lydon was selected. However, two former SU players in the 2017 Draft Class are going pro with Andrew White signing a deal with the Boston Celtics earlier this month.
If Wilson were to join the Orange, he would be an integral piece in what could shape up to be the most talented recruiting class in SU history. Syracuse has already locked down Darius Bazley, who continues to skyrocket up the rankings. Along with that, East Carolina transfer Elijah Hughes will be eligible to play in 2018. The Orange is still far from done on the recruiting front as well. SU has a number of supremely talented targets for 2018 on its radar, including Louis King and Jalen Carey.
