The first priority for Syracuse is to finalize the Class of ’22. After losing Kamari Lands, SU needs to keep Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland locked in to sign their letter of intent. After that, it’s about finding another piece to round out the class and soften the blow (or improve upon) Lands.
After that, it’s about turning the attention to the Class of ’23, and there’s already reason to be optimistic. Extremely optimistic. 5-star prospect Simeon Wilcher told Mike McAllister his feelings on Syracuse, “They’re at high interest right now. Very high interest.”¬†Wilcher is rated as the 12th best prospect in his class by ESPN, one of the two best point guards in the nation, and a 92 overall rating.
The Fizz recently detailed what a victory for college basketball Emoni Bates commitment to Memphis is. He’s one of the most celebrated high school phenoms in years and opted against the pros. Wilcher also turned down a large offer from Overtime Elite to stay at his high school. Wilcher may ultimately choose the G League or playing pros overseas, but for now he’s looking at college. He raved about the Melo Center: “I’ve never seen a gym like that to be honest. It just had everything you need. Beautiful facility. From the walk-in all the way to the court, everything… Just the environment was one of a kind.”
Wilcher is a 6’4″ guard out of Roselle Catholic in New Jersey, and attended an elite camp recently at the Dome. He said, “the experience at the elite camp was very good. You kind of got a feel of things Syracuse did on the daily… The best of the best. The competition was very good. We got to go against some guys that were really known and be able to just compete. No cameras, nothing. Just go at each other.”
Wilcher has major interest from power programs, including two rivals of the Orange. Both UConn and North Carolina recently offered him. He recently took a visit to Storrs as pictured above. His game is well-rounded. He has terrific burst to the basket, and can also knock down the outside shots. His footwork is excellent in maneuvering to the hoop, he’s able to slide around defenders and find crevasses to manipulate. The dynamic that sets him apart as you watch his games however, is his passion and emotional demeanor. It’s common to see him show fire after a big bucket, imploring his teammates to follow his lead and to get himself amped up. It’s that type of personality that makes it easy to envision him as a leader and the focal point of the team.
There’s quite some time before Wilcher has to make a decision. But the early returns are really good for the Orange. SU has shown to be aggressive in recruiting for future years already, and Wilcher would be a crowning piece of that.
