Syracuse basketball is in the mix for one of the country’s top 2027 wings, and the Orange appear to be turning up the heat.
Moussa Kamissoko, a 6-foot-8 wing/small forward from Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y., already had a scholarship offer from Syracuse under former head coach Adrian Autry, which came in late December of 2024. Now, with Gerry McNamara in charge, recruiting analysts say the Orange staff is making a major push to land him.
Kamissoko’s profile is the kind that draws heavy traffic. Rivals has him as high as No. 8 nationally in the 2027 class, and both the 247Sports Composite and Rivals Industry Ranking place him inside the top 20 overall.
His offer list reflects that status, with schools such as Oklahoma State, Virginia, Providence, Illinois, Kentucky, Alabama, Cincinnati, Penn State, Villanova, BYU, Louisville, N.C. State and UConn, among others, all involved.
The competition is real, and Louisville has emerged as a program to watch closely. Other schools said to be building momentum include Syracuse, Oklahoma State, Virginia, Kentucky, UConn and Illinois.
Kamissoko is also a familiar name around Syracuse because of his time at Long Island Lutheran, where Orange sophomore shooting guard Kiyan Anthony was once his teammate before Anthony joined the 'Cuse.
For Syracuse, the next step is obvious: get him on campus. At this point, no official visits are known to be scheduled or publicly available, and that could end up being a major factor in where Kamissoko eventually lands. If the Orange want a real shot, the staff will need to secure that visit and make the most of it.
On the EYBL circuit this summer, Kamissoko is suiting up for the 17U PSA Cardinals out of Bronx, N.Y. He’s putting up 17.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from 3-point range and 68.6 percent at the line.
He’s also sharing that PSA Cardinals 17U roster with 2028 three-star wing Enmanuel Valera Melo of The Phelps School in Malvern, Pa. Since the 2028 contact period opened on June 15, the 'Cuse coaching staff .
There will be two NCAA-permitted live periods on the EYBL circuit this month, including one from July 9 to July 12, and it will be worth watching whether McNamara and his assistants are in for Kamissoko and Valera Melo.
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Kiyan Anthony Opened Up About His Emotional Adrian Autry Goodbye
Syracuses frustrating 2025-26 season ended with a 15-17 record and six straight losses, and the final blow came in the ACC tournament against SMU. The next morning, the university moved on from Adrian Autry, closing out a tenure that had plenty of pressure attached to it long before the last game was over. For Kiyan Anthony, the change landed with the kind of emotion that usually follows a season spent around a coach every day, not just the kind of news cycle that follows a bad finish.
Anthony said he had a real relationship with Autry and spent the season getting a closer look at what the job demanded, even through the rough patches. He also addressed the benching at Virginia, saying Autry framed it as a basketball decision rather than a punishment, which gives a little more context to how the year unfolded behind the scenes. With Syracuse now heading into a new era, Anthonys perspective is one more reminder that the end of a coachs run is never only about wins and losses. [Read more 🡒]
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One of the most important additions is Vince Kehres, brought in from Toledo to help reshape the unit with an emphasis on effort, tackling and teamwork. His previous defense was far sturdier than Syracuses was a year ago, and now the real test is how much of that can carry over once the Orange start sorting out the details in camp, from the corners role in supporting the run to whether the pass rush can be rebuilt with help from the transfer market. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Adds Another Overseas Guard As Backcourt Questions Keep Growing
Syracuses backcourt continues to take shape with another overseas addition, as the womens basketball program has signed French point guard Claine Ricco for the upcoming season. Ricco arrives with a steady international rsum and is in the middle of representing France at the under-20 EuroBasket Tournament, where she has remained part of the national team pipeline after previous runs with Frances under-18 and under-19 squads.
For Syracuse, the move fits an offseason that has leaned heavily on players with international ties while the roster still has room to grow. The Orange currently list 13 players, and with SMU transfer Tyi Skinner expected to be the lead option at point guard, Ricco looks like another piece in a backcourt picture that is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]