After a rocky 2017 class, SU appears to have a strong 2018 class coming in next year. But what about the year after that? The Orange has already picked up a commitment from combo-guard Brycen Goodine, but who could be next? Let’s take a way-too-early look at three key prospects SU is after in the 2019 class.
1) PG: Joseph Girard (Glens Falls, NY)
Rating: 3-Star, 186th nationally, according to 247sports.com
Offers: Boston College, Washington, BYU
Girard plays at Glens Falls high school, where BYU legend Jimmer Fredette graduated from. With that being said, comparing him to Jimmer is going to sound like a cop-out, but the similarity really is uncanny. Girard is going to break Fredette’s scoring record by the end of his junior season and shoots the lights out of the three-ball in the same type of impulsive manner. He doesn‚Äôt quite have Jimmer range just yet, but watch these highlights and tell me you don‚Äôt see some similarities.
Good News: Girard has supposedly been a fan of the Syracuse program for awhile now. He currently plays on the same AAU team as Buddy Boeheim and took an unofficial visit to SU for the Notre Dame game last Saturday.
Bad News: He didn’t exactly see SU put out its best product in the 51-49 rockfight of a loss and left Syracuse without an offer. Girard told Nunes Magician that Jim Boeheim told him he has the skill-set to play for the Orange but the headman wants to keep his scholarships open this early on.
Side Note: Girard is also a highly-touted high-school quarterback. He has offers to play football at UMass and Tulane. 
Syracuse has had a strong history of three-point marksman since the turn of the century–From G-Mac, to Devendorf, to Andy Rautins, to Trevor Cooney. Now maybe Girard is next up?
2) PG/SG: Jalen Lecque (Born in Bronx, NY, currently plays in Arden, NC)
Rating: 5-Star,14th nationally, according to ESPN
Offers: Syracuse, Villanova, Kansas, Oregon, Texas
One of those guys Boeheim might want to save a scholarship spot for is Lecque. The 6‚Äô4 guard is an uber-athlete who has a knack for scoring the ball in traffic at the rim. To put it simply: Lecque’s one of the best guards in the entire 2019 class and would be a huge get for Syracuse.
Good News: SU has been recruiting Lecque for quite a while now. The Orange offered him way back in July and the lack of point-guards on Syracuse’s roster in the future should be appealing for a guy like Lecque, who you would have to imagine has NBA and one-and-done aspirations. Additionally, Duke and UNC haven’t offered him yet.
Bad News: The key word there is yet because it’s likely only a matter of time and the ACC top dogs will have an advantage considering Lecque literally plays in their backyard.
Side Note: This guy can flat out YAM. Here’s a highlight mix of the 6’4 Lecque throwing down like he’s Donovan Mitchell.
If Lecque doesn’t chose SU, every Orange fan should be hoping that he takes his talents and that leaping ability outside of the ACC.
3) PF/C: Isaiah Stewart (Born in Rochester, NY and currently plays in LaPorte, IN)
Rating: 5-Star, 26th nationally, according to ESPN.
Offers: Syracuse, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Notre Dame, Maryland
On top of point-guard another position of focus in the 2019 class will presumably be center or finding someone who can anchor the 2-3 zone. Stewart might just be that guy. The 6’8” 243-pound center has a strong arsenal of post-moves, an athletic motor and great shot-blocking skills. All of which are on display in this Stewart highlight reel.
Good News: Stewart already took an unofficial visit to Syracuse for the Oakland game (where Syracuse actually looked pretty good.) On top of that, he also used to play on the same AAU team as Buddy Boeheim and SU is one of the six schools listed as 247sports.com’s top choices for Stewart right now.
Bad News: Another one of those six schools is Duke and the 247sports.com crystal ball projection currently has Duke favored with an 86% chance of getting Stewart. The other 14 percent in the early stages of the recruiting process right now belongs to Texas.
Side Note: Of the 6 teams currently in 247sports.com’s “warm” category, Syracuse has the most availability at the center position.
By the time Stewart would enroll Paschal Chukwu will no longer have eligibility, leaving the injury-prone Bourama Sidibe as the only Syracuse player currently on scholarship who could realistically anchor the zone in 2019.
