J'Lon Lyons is rated as the No. 1 player in Maryland.
We don't know if the Syracuse men's basketball team is going to be able to land high school recruit J'Lon Lyons in the Class of 2027, but we do know this: Simply being in the mix is a good sign for new head coach Gerry McNamara and his coaching staff.
Lyons, who is ranked as the No. 1 player in Maryland, has included Syracuse in his "final eight," which was revealed by 247 Sports on Thursday.
He's listed as the nations third-best point guard and the 50th best player overall. He's listed at 6-foot-3. The rest of his final eight? Maryland, Butler, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgetown, Washington and VCU.
Obviously, Maryland, Virginia, VCU and Georgetown have regional ties for him, suggesting he may want to play closer to home.
But again, simply being in the mix is a good thing for McNamara and Co., who are working to rebuild the Orange after a period of five underwhelming seasons.
The Syracuse Orange cheerleaders and mascot pose for a photo during the second round game of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the UConn Huskies at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Gregory Fisher-Imagn ImagesSyracuse hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament in those five years and is coming off a 15-17 season that saw Adrian Autry get fired as head coach. Though Syracuse has been able to navigate the transfer portal in some interesting ways, the team famously didn't have any 2026 high school recruits under Autry. While the portal has become a huge source of talent acquisition, it's noteworthy that McNamara is back on the high school circuit, understanding the importance of developing relationships and acquiring players that can grow.
What does this say about the current state of SU?
The fact that Lyons is interested in Syracuse shows that the arrow is trending upwards for McNamara and his program. And it should be: McNamara has a history of winning, both as a player and a coach.
What are the things that recruits usually care about? Winning. NIL opportunities. Professional opportunity.
Syracuse has the ability to generate financial opportunity, and McNamara's experiences give him credibility on the other two fronts.
Also of note for Syracuse basketball
The Orange will open up their season on Nov. 2 at home against New Haven, but they continue to announce non-conference opponents. Earlier this week, we learned that Syracuse will host Binghamton right before the Christmas holiday (Dec. 22).
The two teams met last year as well, with the Orange winning 85-47 on Opening Night.
In addition to New Haven and Binghamton, we know that Syracuse will play Central Connecticut, Lafayette, Colgate, Indiana, Providence and Oklahoma.
There's also a reported game with St. John's, though that hasn't been confirmed yet.
