Gerry McNamara picked up his first major recruiting win on Friday, and Syracuse’s haul got a whole lot more interesting with the addition of five-star forward Moussa Kamissoko.
The Orange had only landed one other five-star recruit in the past decade before this commitment, with Donnie Freeman arriving in 2023. Now Kamissoko joins that short list, giving Syracuse a prized frontcourt piece and a player widely viewed as the top prospect in New York.
Kamissoko, who is from the Bronx, has spent the last two years at Long Island Lutheran, where he shared a roster with current Syracuse guard Kiyan Anthony. He’s now set to transfer to Spire Academy in Ohio for his senior season, a program known as one of the nation’s top basketball schools.
Recruiting services have taken notice. Rivals ranks him as the consensus top player from New York and has him as high as No. 7 in the 2027 class overall.
Syracuse had to fend off a strong list of suitors to get him, with Florida State, Illinois, Virginia and Providence all in the mix. In the end, Kamissoko said McNamara’s approach stood out.
“He’s a players’ coach, and that is what I was looking for. You can tell the guys like playing for him.
The practice was detailed, with great vibes. Coach has a great development plan for me, and they showed that Cuse has been good when they have wings like me.”
At 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Kamissoko brings the kind of length that can change the shape of a game on both ends. He scores efficiently around the basket and above the rim, and his defensive versatility gives him a chance to fit into multiple schemes right away.
He also made clear what he wants his college stop to mean.
“I just want to make sure I’m ready to contribute to winning as soon as I step foot on campus and help compete for a national championship.”
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For a program trying to keep momentum building under a new-look staff, that kind of recognition matters because it signals there is more here than just a fresh face in the room. Syracuse has been looking for every edge it can find on the recruiting trail and in player development, and Lees network and background give the Orange another staffer with a profile that suggests he can help in both areas. [Read more 🡒]
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Syracuse added a pair of promising New York prospects to its future pipeline, a welcome development for a program that has long sold itself as a state-first destination. The Orange landed 2027 five-star wing Moussa Kamissoko out of the Bronx, giving the mens program a high-end local commitment, while the womens side also picked up a pledge from 2027 point guard Josephine Pinnock of Middle Village.
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One name worth watching is four-star wing Ahmed Nur, who has already taken official visits to Syracuse and other schools. The Orange are also not viewed as a likely frontrunner for five-star point guard Nasir Anderson, which only adds to the sense that this class may stay small given the way the 2026-27 roster is expected to take shape. Syracuse can still supplement through the transfer portal and international markets, but the bigger question now is whether it lands one more high-end high school piece or simply leans into a compact recruiting class. [Read more 🡒]