Jeff Borzello, Syracuse Recruiting

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: SYRACUSE

Verbal Commitment Alert: Michael Carter-Williams, 6’5 guard from the St. Andrew’s School in Rhode Island and the class of 2011.

by JEFF BORZELLO

One of the most improved players that NBE watched over the course of this year was Michael Carter-Williams. On Sunday, Carter-Williams decided to end his recruitment early and picked Syracuse.

“I chose Syracuse because I love the coaches and they have a great communications program and that’s what I am going to major in,” Carter-Williams said. “I also really like the facilities and I feel most comfortable there.”

He said the other teams in the running for his services were Providence, Virginia Tech, Villanova, Notre Dame, Miami (Fl.) and Virginia.

Carter-Williams is a 6-4+ point guard who plays for St. Andrew’s (R.I.) and starred for BABC this past summer. His size and skill set make him a difficult match-up for opponents, and his length will undoubtedly make him an asset in Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense.

“I think I can bring leadership, scoring and teamwork to the team,” Carter-Williams said. “Just like Jonny Flynn.”

With Carter-Williams a member of the class of 2011, it was somewhat surprising to see him end his recruitment so early. However, he did not see any reason to continue.

Said Carter-Williams: “I didn’t think that I would like any other school more than Syracuse.”
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Carter-Williams was an early mark for the Orange in the class of 2011, but Jim Boeheim and his staff hope they are not finished yet with their efforts in the 2010 class, which already ranks among the nation’s best. Earlier this summer Syracuse scored a major recruiting victory by besting Big East rivals such as Louisville and Connecticut and others for the future services of 5-star center prospect Fabricio de Melo, a 7-footer originally from Brazil. ‘Fab Melo’ joined previous verbal commitments of Dion Waiters, Baye Moussa-Keita and C.J. Fair to form a class ranked very high nationally in 2010.

The Orange are hoping to add one more BIG piece to the puzzle as they are, at least, considered one of the favorites in the race for 5-star forward Tobias Harris of Long Island. Harris is expected to announce his decision on November 19th and he would be a perfect ending to the Orange class in 2010.

While SU has just one open scholarship on paper and Harris is their immediate target, the Orange also appear to be finalists for a pair of elite point guards that will likely make decisions later in the process. Widely regarded as the top two point guards in the class, Brandon Knight and Josh Selby both have Syracuse on their short list of schools.

Another player that might factor in the 2010 class is Shaquille Thomas. The long and athletic forward has long had SU a top his list, but he has been trying to work out the academic side of things first. There is a chance Thomas could wind up in the 2011 class before all is said and done.

With Carter-Williams onboard, an early look at 2011 recruiting for the Orange would indicate just one or two scholarships available. Syracuse has long been among the early leaders for Delaware sharpshooter Trevor Cooney who visited SU the weekend of their Midnight Madness and Seattle (WA) guard Anthony Wroten. We would expect SU to stay involved with both even after the commitment from Carter-Williams as he could easily co-exist with many guards in the backcourt because of his versatility.

Forwards such as LaQuinton Ross, LeBryan Nash and Jarrod Davis have also told NBE at past events that SU is very high on their potential recruiting lists.

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note – NBE Staff contributed to this story

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