Syracuse basketball keeps showing up in the same places as the sport’s biggest high school powers, and the latest preseason rankings from MADE Hoops only sharpen that picture.
The organization released its preseason top 25 ahead of the 2026-27 season, and at least nine teams on the list have an Orange target on the roster. That lines up with earlier reporting that Syracuse recruits are positioned to be in the hunt when Chipotle Nationals wraps up in Fishers, Ind., next April.
At the top of the list is Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, where 2027 five-star wing/small forward Moussa Kamissoko has landed after a recent transfer. Kamissoko is a priority Syracuse recruit in this class. He took an official visit to the Hill earlier this month, and the Orange staff has been in to see him at least twice recently during open gyms at Spire.
No. 2 Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., also features a major Orange recruiting name.
Syracuse has been pushing hard for 2027 five-star point guard Nasir Anderson, though it’s not clear whether the Orange still remain in the mix for him. The staff has also offered 2028 five-star point guard Michai White.
At No. 4, IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Syracuse was recently at an open gym to watch 2028 five-star wing/small forward Will Brunson, who holds an offer from the new Syracuse staff under first-year head coach Gerry McNamara.
Southeastern Preparatory Academy in Orlando, Fla., comes in at No. 5 and includes 2028 four-star combo guard Ka'Shawn Gill, who transferred there for the 2026-27 season. Syracuse offered Gill a scholarship in July.
AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., is ranked No. 6, and the Orange were there when the fall recruiting period opened on September 9 for the program’s Pro Day. A source told Inside the Loud House that Syracuse may evaluate 2028 four-star guard Darren Ford.
CIA Bella Vista in Phoenix is No. 9, and Syracuse has plenty of interest there as well. SU 2027 priority target Ahmed Nur, a four-star wing/forward, will spend his senior year with the Bears, who won last season’s high school national title.
Nur officially visited Syracuse in late August. The Orange have also offered three 2028 prospects at CIA Bella Vista: four-star forward Isaiah Clarke, five-star point guard Liam Mitakaro and four-star forward Settimo Yugu.
Montverde Academy in Montverde, Fla., sits at No. 10 and drew Syracuse earlier this month, when the staff attended an open gym to watch two 2028 five-star wings: Canadian Isaiah Hamilton and DMV native Xavier Skipworth. Montverde finished last season ranked No. 2 nationally.
The Orange also have ties to No. 11 Iowa United Prep in Des Moines, Iowa, where 2028 five-star wing Kevin Wheatley Jr. announced a transfer at the start of September. Wheatley has an offer from Syracuse and took an unofficial visit to SU last December.
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