Syracuse’s 2022-23 roster will look dramatically different than a year ago. Gone are the Boeheim Brothers, Bourama Sidibe, Frank Anselem, Chaz Owens and Cole Swider.
Despite this, there’s optimism heading into this season because of Syracuse’s deepest and most talented freshmen class in years.
Here’s a quick look at who’s arriving on campus this fall.
G Judah Mintz- 6’4” ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oak Hill Academy alumni Judah Mintz is the highest recruit for Syracuse coming into the season, and for good reason.
The lengthy combo guard has the athleticism and defensive smarts for the zone.
Mintz, known for his strength finishing at the rim, ranks 33rd in the country on ESPN’s top 100 and has gained national attention heading into college.
As the most anticipated recruit of the class, the guard will most likely find himself in a starting role alongside veteran Joe Girard III. Syracuse will lean on Mintz’s ability to get inside and create for his teammates, even as a young player.
G Quadir Copeland- 6’6”, ⭐⭐⭐
Girard, now a senior, has played point guard for much of his Orange career, despite being a more natural two-guard.
Enter Quadir Copeland, a flashy freshman that brings upside and length that Syracuse has missed at point guard recently.
Copeland played at IMG Academy with Justin Taylor, and the two former teammates will be reuniting in Orange.
Copeland has a great ability to break down defenses with strong ball handling and can finish at the rim with his 6’6″ frame.
Though Copeland will likely come off the bench this season, he could be a key backup for Mintz and Girard.
F Justin Taylor- 6’6” ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Orange beat out Virginia and Va. Tech as well as North Carolina to land Virginia native Justin Taylor.
Taylor, a four star small forward from IMG Academy, was an early verbal commitment for Syracuse and has played well in the AAU circuit.
Taylor, ranked 124th nationally according to the 247 Sports Composite, will likely see time on the wing, bringing more length to the top of the zone.
With great bounce and a smooth shot at 6’6”, Justin Taylor brings options to the Orange offense. His versatile skill set will contribute well in his freshman year.
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F Chris Bunch- 6’7”, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bunch is a prototypical Syracuse wing at 6’7″ and 185 pounds. He ranked just outside the top 100 on 247 Sports’ rankings at 105.
From Mount Pleasant, Utah, the small forward thrives shooting the deep ball.
Bunch is known to be quick and has a developed offensive skill set, but has some concerns regarding his physicality.
Similar to Copeland, Bunch will be a guy off the bench for Syracuse that should be able to contribute.
F Maliq Brown- 6’8” ⭐⭐⭐
Maliq Brown rounds out the recruiting class for Syracuse as a grindy, under the radar forward from Saint George, VA.
Originally going to private school at Blue Ridge School in Virginia in hopes to pursue his passion in football, injuries on the field led him to the basketball court.
He switched sports sophomore year to basketball, and was once ranked as high as 81st in the 247 Sports rankings before dropping to 220th.
He is a physical, bruising forward that could earn a spot in the rotation to help sure up the back line of SU’s zone.
C Peter Carey- 6’11” ⭐⭐⭐
Do not let the recruit ranking of Peter Cary (248th in 247 Sports’ rankings) mislead how important Carey is for Syracuse.
Cary, at 6’11”, is the only true big man coming in for a Syracuse team that has struggled to develop centers prior to the emergence of Jesse Edwards in 2021.
He is explosive for his height and has bounce to play center and rebound the ball well. The freshman comes into Syracuse recovering from a partial tear in a knee tendon.
Don’t expect much from Carey in the early part of his Orange career as SU looks at him as a longer term project with transfer Mounir Hima likely to assume the backup role next season. But as he matures, he could be Syracuse’s next outstanding player to help man the middle of the zone.
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