DeMarcus Henry Jr. closed out his UConn visit on Friday, and the 2027 five-star wing continues to look like one of the biggest prizes on the board.
Henry Jr., a 6-foot-7 versatile forward at Arizona Compass Prep, has narrowed his list to eight schools: Arkansas, BYU, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, North Carolina, Ohio State and UConn. He is still a young senior who won’t turn 18 until next month, and he plans to visit every school he is considering this fall.
UConn’s timing matters here, too. The Huskies have picked up recruiting momentum after the recent commitment from Navorro Bowman Jr., and Henry Jr.’s trip to Storrs came right on the heels of that push.
Before heading to Connecticut, Henry Jr. had coaches from BYU, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio State in to watch him at Arizona Compass Pro Day on Wednesday.
The buzz around Henry Jr. has been building fast, and the production explains why. He’s a long, left-handed wing who can put the ball on the deck, score while moving, and step out to hit threes with consistency. That kind of skill set travels, which is a big reason he has climbed into the No. 2 and No. 3 range nationally.
His rise got another boost from Peach Jam, where his play in a high-profile setting helped fuel the surge in his stock. The son of the late Chris Henry, who starred at West Virginia before playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, Henry Jr. has taken on more offensive responsibility and run with it.
Last season at Arizona Compass, he filled a complementary scoring role alongside Top-50 recruit Kaden House, now at Maryland, Kalek House at Xavier, and others. Even in that setup, he made his presence felt with efficient scoring, multi-positional defense, a solid mid-range game and a real instinct for the ball.
One of his strongest outings came during Arizona Compass’ 74-54 win over CATS Academy (MA) in the Western Maryland Classic this past winter, when he scored 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and went 2-for-3 from deep.
His climb on the EYBL circuit was driven by the same traits: relentlessness, explosion, and a knack for making the right play at the right time. That summer stretch brought a wave of new offers, including UConn, Kansas, Arkansas and North Carolina.
At NBA Top 100 camp, Henry Jr. was the event’s leading scorer at 20.1 points per game. He shot 52 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range, while also averaging 9.3 rebounds and three assists.
Syracuse was also busy on the recruiting trail Thursday, extending an offer to Michai White, a high-scoring guard at Prolific Prep (FL).
White is a Class of 2028 prospect, and Syracuse was in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. this week checking in on a group of highly sought-after five-star recruits. The Orange also stopped by Prolific Prep’s South Florida campus to see five-star target Nas Anderson.
In Other News...
Syracuse May Finally Get A Much Needed WR Debut After Court Ruling
Justus Ross-Simmons long path toward eligibility took another turn this week, and this one appears to finally clear the way for Syracuse to get a receiver it has been waiting on. After being removed from a Texas lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds, Ross-Simmons filed a new case in Onondaga County Supreme Court, where a local judge granted a restraining order that allows him to suit up for upcoming games.
The latest ruling gives Syracuse some immediate relief at a spot where depth and playmaking matter, and Ross-Simmons is now expected to make his season debut following the court decision. His status has bounced through multiple legal rulings in recent weeks, though the matter is not completely finished yet, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 30 on whether a longer-term injunction will be put in place. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Turns Cal Weekend Into Another Big Recruiting Test
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The visitor list gives Syracuse a chance to reinforce relationships across multiple classes and positions, with several players already tied to the Orange by commitment, offer or mutual interest. For a staff still working to build depth and momentum on the recruiting trail, weekends like this matter because they let prospects see the game-day operation up close, and this one arrives with plenty of eyes on how Syracuse presents itself in front of future targets. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Fans Still Remember This Defining Dome Moment After 9/11
The Carrier Dome was packed with emotion when Syracuse returned to the field on Sept. 22, 2001, for its first home game after the Sept. 11 attacks. The season had been put on hold as the country grieved, and the atmosphere around the Orange's matchup with Auburn carried far more weight than the usual early-fall football pageantry. A pregame ceremony set the tone, with then-Governor George Pataki addressing the crowd before the teams took the field.
For Syracuse, the afternoon became one of those moments fans still point to when talking about the Dome's place in school history. The Orange followed it with another win a week later against East Carolina, but the return to football in Syracuse after such a difficult stretch remains the defining memory. Long after the season moved on, that first home game stood out as a reminder of how the program, and its fans, tried to find some sense of normalcy again. [Read more 🡒]