New York City’s Elijah Moore, a lethal four-star shooting guard in the Class of 2024, has Syracuse basketball among his five finalists and could make a college decision in the near future.
A few days ago, the 6-foot-4 Moore announced the top 5 states for Orange, Alabama, Arkansas, Miami and Oklahoma.
When I wrote this column Saturday afternoon, I had yet to see predictions for Moore from national analysts and other recruiting insiders on the 247Sports website, Rivals.com, or the On3 website.
However, On3’s recruiting prediction engine currently has Syracuse basketball by a slight margin over No. 1 Oklahoma State for Moore. At this point I would like to point out that this could definitely change in the coming weeks.
Syracuse basketball appears to be in a good place to possibly land four-star guard Elijah Moore.
Moore received around 20 offers during his recruitment process. In April 2022 he was offered a scholarship by Orange. Last August, Moore unofficially visited the ‘Cuse to attend the team’s annual Elite Camp.
He officially visited the hill last October and the trip went overwhelmingly well. He has also officially visited the state of Oklahoma and is considering a possible official visit to Alabama later in January, according to a recent article by On3 National Analyst Joe Tipton.
I’m not a recruitment analyst, nor am I one of Moore’s closest circle. That being said, it seems logical that Syracuse Basketball and Oklahoma State are currently #1 and #2 for him according to On3’s recruiting forecast engine.
Additionally, if he makes an official visit to Alabama, the analyst buzz for Moore could potentially shift to the Crimson Tide. We’ll have to see how this all develops.
Moore is a junior standout at Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, NY. At the AAU circuit, he runs in the adidas league with the Bronx, NY-based Wiz Kids. Businessman and top SU booster Adam Weitsman told me earlier this week that Moore is currently his #1 target for name, image and likeness opportunities in the 2024 cycle.
All five of his finalists can, I believe, make compelling arguments to lure Moore to their respective schools. Prioritized for the Orange by Syracuse basketball coaches for some time, he is from upstate New York and has visited the ‘Cuse twice.
Miami reached the Elite Eight a season ago and has one of the most underrated head coaches in the country in Jim Larrañaga. The Hurricanes are ranked 16th in the Associated Press’s most recent Top 25 poll, and Miami is a serious contender for the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season crown.
The State of Oklahoma, as I mentioned earlier, received Moore on an official visit. While the Cowboys don’t have a standout 2022-23 campaign to date, two former Oklahoma State stars in recent years, guards Cade Cunningham and Marcus Smart, have been NBA draft lottery picks.
Cunningham was drafted 1st overall by the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, while Smart was drafted 6th overall by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft.
If Moore makes an official visit to Alabama, I personally think his recruitment could amount to the Orange vs. the Crimson Tide. Former Buffalo boss Nate Oats is the head coach of Alabama, a team ranked #4 in the most recent AP Top 25 poll.
Alabama has been doing reasonably well on recruiting lately, and the Crimson Tide is a significant contender to not only win the Southeastern Conference but also go deep into this spring’s March Madness.
Over in Arkansas, which ranks 15th in the AP Top 25 poll, head coach Eric Musselman is doing a great job. The Razorbacks have advanced to the Elite Eight in the last two NCAA tournaments. Like Alabama, Arkansas has been taking things down with its recruiting efforts of late.
We will of course be closely monitoring Moore’s recruitment in the coming weeks. Syracuse basketball continues to look for its first junior league commitment, and Moore, if he were to sign for the ‘Cuse, would be a huge start to the Orange’s 2024 cycle.
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