A thin Class of 2018 basketball crop just got even slimmer after Syracuse target Bryce Golden committed to Butler on Monday. The Orange still holds just two commits in its class after Darius Bazley’s decommitment and Brycen Goodine likely not reclassifying into 2018. That being said, Jim Boeheim has found diamonds in the rough before (see last year’s team) and has whipped up a winning team. Syracuse is going to have to really dig deep this late in the process to scrap together a third and maybe fourth member alongside Jalen Carey and Buddy Boeheim. There isn’t a whole lot out there now that the calendar has flipped to May, but there are a handful of players the Orange should target and could scoop up late in the process.
I also discussed this in podcast form with Tim Leonard in the latest FizzCast:
Robert Braswell, Forward
Braswell seems to be the most likely of this list after receiving an offer this week. That came after he received a visit from assistant coach Allen Griffin in mid-April. It should also be noted that Griffin did a lot of the heavy lifting with Darius Bazley, so he has proven his ability to recruit and shouldn’t be criticized for Bazley’s unorthodox change of heart. Braswell is a 6-foot-9 forward who excels defensively and would provide the Orange with great length.
Lukas Kisunas, Forward
Kisunas is a UConn decommit after head coach Kevin Ollie was fired. He is already getting looks from other powerhouses like Arizona and is probably the most talented of this crop. One thing SU has going for it if it decides to get involved late in the process with the Lithuanian is the Brewster Academy connection. The Orange has developed a quasi-pipeline from Brewster to Syracuse, including most recently Buddy Boeheim.
Majur Majak, Center
Majak has had contact with Syracuse in the past, but conversations seem to have trailed off. SU was in on him after Nate Roberts spurned the Orange for Mike Hopkins and Washington. With Paschal Chukwu graduating after this upcoming season, Syracuse could use another option at center alongside Bourama Sidibe, especially given Sidibe’s health. Majak would provide great shot blocking a la Chukwu, but there seems to be a lack of buzz between the two parties at this point. However, SU would by far be his highest profile offer if the Orange decided to extend one.
Luka Brajkovic, Forward
Brajkovic is an Austrian forward who has good size at 6-foot-9. 247Sports lists him inside their top 250. He has the length that Syracuse desires, but would need to work on his strength a good amount. He only has a couple of offers, but they’re from solid schools in Davidson and Penn State. Syracuse’s notoriety would clearly trump those, but it may come down to whether Boeheim wants another player in the mold of Marek Dolezaj on his roster.
