Syracuse’s push at CIA Bella Vista is already turning up names, and one of the most intriguing is 2029 big man Mamadou Issa Sow.
The 6-foot-10 prospect got on the Orange’s radar under the previous staff, when Adrian Autry’s group offered him a scholarship in July of last year, according to his Instagram page. Gerry McNamara’s staff has since stayed on him, re-offering in April of this year, per Issa Sow’s X account.
That puts Syracuse in a growing group of schools involved with the rising sophomore. His offer list also includes Georgia Tech, UNLV and Sacramento State, and that board figures to keep expanding. Coaches can’t begin direct communication with 2029 prospects until June 15 of next year, so there’s still plenty of runway for his recruitment to take off.
Issa Sow is part of the talent pipeline at CIA Bella Vista in Phoenix, a program Syracuse has been recruiting aggressively since McNamara took over in March. The Bears just won the high school national championship by taking April’s Chipotle Nationals in Fishers, Ind., and they were the unanimous No. 1 team in the country last season after going 26-4 overall. CIA Bella Vista also sits inside the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic, a league expected to have 15 member schools in the 2026-27 campaign.
Syracuse’s recent work there has gone beyond Issa Sow. In the last few weeks, McNamara and his assistants have also offered 2027 four-star big man Ahmed Nur, 2028 five-star point guard Liam Mitakaro and 2028 four-star forward Settimo Yugu, all of whom will play for CIA Bella Vista in 2026-27.
Evaluators like what they see from Issa Sow. National analysts and scouts describe him as athletic, agile and long, with a real reputation for defense and rim protection. They say he can finish efficiently in the paint and around the basket, and they also point to his energy and ball-handling ability.
The recruiting services haven’t fully rolled out rankings for the 2029 class yet, but Issa Sow already looks like a player who could land as a high-four-star or even a five-star prospect.
He’s also impressed at recent showcase stops, including the Nike Elite 100 Camp in St. Louis and the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas.
On the AAU circuit this spring and summer, Issa Sow is playing for Arizona Unity’s 15U team in Nike’s EYBL league. He’s averaging 7.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 39.6 percent from the field.
Syracuse’s former staff had also extended offers to two other 2029 prospects: five-star wing David Johnson of Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and combo guard Isaiah Rider IV of Higley High School in Gilbert, Ariz.
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