The NEPSAC Summer Showcase is in the books, but the aftermath is only getting started. Over the next two weeks, some of these standout Northeast hoopers will be bombarded with college interest. And with their increased national interest, Coach Autry and the Orange staff will have to battle other top programs to secure a commitment. These five players should be at the top of Syracuse’s recruiting priority list:
- Amir Jenkins, Worcester Academy, 2026
Jenkins, after winning the NEPSAC championship back in March with Worcester Academy, dominated the courts at Babson for three days. He is a complete two-way lead guard player, and plays in attack mode for the full 40 minutes. He excels in Worcester Academy’s frequent full-court press defense, and was able to generate turnovers against some of the best guards in New England. For the few minutes that Jenkins comes out of the game, he stands at the end of the bench to encourage his teammates and be able to yell out offensive and defensive sets. He is a leader and a winner, and has both the talent and the intangibles of a power five stud. He plays for BABC (Boston Amateur Basketball Club) in AAU alongside multiple other top recruits. BABC will be a must-watch team all summer for college scouts, raising his platform to the national level. Now that he has “Blown up” and gained traction with the prestigious programs, Jenkins just has to play his game and the offers will flood in. In the last week alone he received offers from: Arizona State, Georgia, and Wake Forest. Syracuse has been extremely interested in offering Jenkins, and will secure one with more great summer performances at his various tournaments.
- Theo Edema, Cushing Academy, 2027
Edema was a game-wrecking paint beast on both ends of the floor for the duration of the showcase. He moves extremely well for a big man, allowing him to hustle down on offense and set up his positioning after grabbing the rebound. Edema separated himself through his physicality; He set legal, hard screens to free up shooters. He finished strong at the rim through contact, and tracked rebounds well by adjusting his box-outs. Edema is going into his junior season at Cushing Academy, a team that was the top seed in the NEPSAC playoffs last March, and looks to grow his already impressive list of offers. Even though he is already a solid free-throw shooter, taking the next two years to add a jumper would make him unguardable. The great big men in college basketball are forces; The elite ones who will hear their name called in the NBA Draft are fully rounded and can hurt opponents from anywhere on the court. Edema already carries offers from other top programs such as Alabama, Tennessee, and Kansas. I could easily see him receiving a Syracuse offer after his performance this weekend.
- Quinn Costello, Newman School, 2026
Costello recently received an offer from Syracuse, in addition to virtually every program in the country after his mammoth start to the summer. He is a stretch forward who can handle the ball well and distribute from his spot in the post. Costello is an accurate passer, making multiple highlight feeds from either cross-court or even full-court to generate a fast break for his team. Costello’s frame usually matches him up against a forward or center, but he has the quickness and hands to guard 1-5. He defended against the pick and roll at a high level in his two Saturday games, being a vocal leader by calling out screens. His shooting ability has taken massive strides; A big factor in his recruiting rise is his capability to stretch out a defense by hitting an open three or a midranger off of the dribble. Costello will be in front of more coaches this summer with the Middlesex Magic AAU team, and will be a marquee battleground player this fall. Syracuse must make him a high priority if they want to fend off the other powerhouse schools that have also thrown their hat in the ring.
- Antonio Pemberton, Brewster Academy, 2027
Pemberton had three great days of games, ending on a high note with his best performance on Sunday in front of a packed crowd. He was dynamic at all points; Pemberton plays with a certain bounce that energizes his team. He comfortably knocked down three-pointers and midrangers right in the face of defenders. Pemberton possesses an extensive bag of dribble moves that helps him beat defenders one on one. He is an unselfish player; There were multiple transition possessions where Pemberton drew the defender in and then dished it to a teammate for an easy bucket. He sparked runs for his team all weekend long. He has recently started to receive power five offers with three coming in this month: Maryland, Oklahoma State, and Penn State. His starting guard spot at Brewster in addition to his play with the Mass. Rivals AAU teams will give him plenty of time to be noticed by big time programs. While Syracuse has shown interest, getting an offer to Pemberton early would show that they view him as a priority player in their 2027 class.
- Stetson Merritt, New Hampton, 2027
Merritt was an ultra-reliable three and d guard in his debut weekend with New Hampton. He does a little bit of everything on the court, one of them being to guard the opposing team’s best scorer at all times and lock him down. He is active on the glass from his guard position, and even beat out a tall opposing forward for an offensive rebound on Saturday. Merritt passes up good shots for great ones, and understands that the ball moves faster than your feet. He was automatic from three during the entire showcase, even nailing a buzzer-beating corner three to lift his team to a win. His move to New Hampton (NEPSAC Conference) will gain him more scouts’ eyes, and he will be playing in many top tournaments with City Rocks for AAU. He has received Buffalo, Stonehill, and Wyoming offers this month. Merritt is an exceptional 6-foot-5 two way guard that has the work ethic and intangibles to fit well at Syracuse. Syracuse has already shown interest, but an early offer to the rising junior would go a long way in showing their commitment to Merritt.
Recruiting always comes down to timing; Players remember when a program offers them before they blow up to the larger college basketball world. Even with their encouraging 2025 team, Syracuse basketball is still very much in the rebuilding phase. Prioritizing local Northeast players will help them begin to fill out a recruiting class much faster than reaching on unrealistic offers. Syracuse basketball was at its best when they dominated Northeast recruiting; This weekend’s showcase proved that if they can get back to that standard, the Orange could regularly pump out impressive recruiting classes.
