Another season, another case of anxiety for Orange fans. Seems like old times as Syracuse will once again need some late wins in the ACC to nab a birth in the NCAA Tournament. But hey, we’ve been here before. Off the floor SU seems to be making noise in recruiting power forwards. There’s 5-star Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and now SU offered a scholarship to 6-foot-9 Maliq Brown.
He’s a junior at the Blue Ridge School in St. George, Va. Brown‚Äôs other offers include some ACC rivals and an old Big East foe in Georgetown. Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Penn State, TCU, VCU, Richmond, Old Dominion and Murray State are all in on him. Those are just the offers. He’s also got interest from plenty of high-major programs. 247Sports rates Brown as four stars.
Brown is ranked¬†No. 105 by 247Sports Composite, 20th at power forward and 6th in Virginia.¬†He’s drawn rave reviews for being able to do more than just score. He’s been complimented for his effort on the boards, how he protects the rum, and has great hands. He can run the floor and score both at the basket or with his jumper. Brown is having a strong junior season averaging 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.¬†
He has sticky hands, able to corral long rebounds and grab lob passes. He also has a long wingspan allowing him to get higher than other players of similar size. He can also block passing lanes, great for the 2-3 zone.
Is it possible SU is targeting Brown in case Huntley-Hatfield chooses another school? It would be smart to have a solid backup in Brown, although SU would love to have them both. The Orange would find a way to get them both on the floor.
