Barring any major surprises, it looks like Jim Boeheim’s 2019 recruiting class is officially filled out after center Jesse Edwards officially signed his NLI on Monday. There’s a lot to look forward to as that class gets set to arrive in Syracuse in just a few months.
With that being said, however, it’s about that time when we turn our attention to the Orange’s 2020 class. Unlike the 2019 class that got a very early commitment from Brycen Goodine in September of 2017, SU has yet to lock up an early-cycle recruit for 2020.
But don’t fret, Fizz Nation, because Boeheim has offers out to a lot of fresh, young talent and he visited one of those guys for an in-home on Tuesday, reportedly making the two-hour trip out to Albany to meet with Albany Academy for Boys shooting guard Andre Jackson.
Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim will conduct an in-home visit today with four-star junior Andre Jackson, a source told @Stockrisers.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) April 23, 2019
The rising senior checks in as a consensus four-star recruit among most major recruiting services and is rated as the 40th overall recruit in the class by 247Sports as well as checking in at No. 37 in ESPN’s Top 60 for the 2020 cycle.
If those kinds of rankings don’t get Syracuse fans excited for the possibility of bringing Jackson board in 2020, then this might. According to 247Sports’ Crystal Ball Predictions, six experts have predicted Jackson’s final landing spot. All six have him going to SU. He would be a big piece to add as potentially the first recruit in a class that will be following SU’s best recruiting cycle since Tyus Battle came to campus in 2016.
As for the 6-foot-6, 160-pounder’s skill set, well, the first thing that jumps off the screen when watching his highlight tape is that the kid’s got bounce and a whole lot of it. I mean, just look at his performance in The Hardwood Classic dunk contest last summer.
It’s not uncommon for his head to be at or above the rim when he’s throwing it down and he’s a talented and effective finisher when he does so. Despite having a fairly slender frame, Jackson also does well to fight through contact and finish at the rack. He’ll definitely have to pack on some size once he gets to the next level, but right now, the guy does some straight up silly stuff in mid-flight.
From the other limited non-dunking tape there is out there, it looks like that ridiculous athleticism also helps him block shots on defense a la Elijah Hughes. Offensively, he’s pretty smooth off the dribble and can take it to the bucket or pull up with what looks like a relatively consistent jumper that he can also knock down from distance. Jackson also flashes potential of being a good transition ball-handler and passer and moves well without the ball in his hands.
Syracuse is one of the rising senior’s best offer to date. Jackson also has them from the likes of Maryland, Iowa, UConn and Indiana, so that’s something we’ll keep our eye on. One thing those schools don’t offer, however, are the chance to stay close to home and play with his former City Rocks teammate in Joe Girard III. Those are intriguing positives that SU can put on the table, but as we saw with Isaiah Stewart, they’re no guarantee that Jackson comes to SU, so Boeheim and company will have to keep pursuing him hard and this in-home visit is a great step in the right direction.
