Reporting by Tyler Aki
Syracuse got more treats than tricks on Halloween today. Four star recruit Quincy Guerrier announced he’s coming to play for the Orange in 2019. He made his announcement at halftime of the Pacers and Knicks game on the RDS 2 feed, a sister channel of TSN. This is similar to what Oshae Brissett did when he announced he was joining the Orange. Guerrier picked Syracuse over Oregon and Illinois.
The Canada product is a 6-foot-7 forward who has been playing his high school ball at Thetford Academy in Vermont. Guerrier is listed at the 48th best player in the country, according to 247Sports, making him the highest ranked player in Orange’s class ahead of Brycen Goodine. However, ESPN lists Goodine higher and has Guerrier unranked.
Guerrier is the fourth commit in the Orange’s 2019 class. He joins Brycen Goodine, Joe Girard and John Bol Ajak. He’s the first forward commit in the class.
Guerrier is the third Canadian commit for the Orange in the past three years. Syracuse has had a good track record with recruiting their neighbors from the north. Guerrier played with the CIA Bounce AAU program, which is the same one Brissett and Howard Washington played for and Tyler Ennis’ father Tony McIntyre is the director of basketball operations.
The addition of Guerrier is huge for a team that is set to experience a lot of turnover in 2019. Off the bat, Frank Howard is graduating and Tyus Battle is all but gone for the NBA. But the interesting pieces lie in the youth of the team. Brissett could also work his way into the NBA draft, which could open up a place for Guerrier to start right away. He’s a super athletic wing who plays like a bigger guard. He’s got a good jump shot, especially from three. Guerrier’s footwork in traffic and in getting up shots is also a key attribute of his and he can attack the offensive glass really well.
Syracuse’s 2019 class is shaping up to be one of its best and deepest in recent memory. The Orange has a little bit of everything in terms of scoring, defense, length and athleticism. The last big name on the table to bolster this class is top five prospect Isaiah Stewart, who is deciding between the Orange, Duke, Michigan State, Washington and Kentucky.
