Syracuse Basketball Recruiting: Players Who Should Be on Orange's Wish List

The Syracuse basketball team has finally gotten over the hump and secured a quality win. The Orange used good defense and a tremendous outing from Rakeem Christmas to beat a short-handed 12th-ranked Louisville team 69-59. Christmas had 29 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in what was one of the best games of his career.

The win moves the Orange to 17-9 and 8-5 in ACC play. Even though it won't help their resume, since the team won't play in the postseason, Orange fans have to be happy to see their team finally get a quality win.

Fans should also enjoy the performance of Christmas while it lasts, because he will be gone after this season. The Orange will need to restock the cupboards with players currently in high school, so let's take a look at a few players that should be on Jim Boeheim's wish list for 2015 and 2016.

Thomas Bryant

Thomas Bryant is still the top player the Orange are chasing. While they don't currently have a scholarship for him, Jim Boeheim and his staff are still in pursuit of the Rochester big man, according to Mike Waters of Syracuse.com.

With Rakeem Christmas in his final year and a lack of depth at center behind him, it makes sense that finding help at center is a top priority for Syracuse. If Bryant commits to the Orange, he would turn an already solid 2015 class into an elite class.

Bryant is a McDonald's All-American and the 22nd-ranked player in ESPN's player rankings. Syracuse is competing with West Virginia, Missouri and, of course, Kentucky for Bryant's services, per 247 sports. He would immediately challenge to start at center for the Orange in 2015, depending on DaJuan Coleman's health.

Bryant is a powerhouse underneath. He can finish strong at the rim and is still agile enough to run the floor and be a threat in transition. He's also long and adept at protecting the rim, which makes him a perfect fit at center for Boeheim.

As reported by Steve Jones of The Courier-Journal, John Calipari and Kentucky seem to be coming on strong in pursuit of Bryant, but Syracuse still has a good shot since Bryant is from nearby Rochester. If he chooses Syracuse, the Orange will be back in the national rankings sooner rather than later.

Tyus Battle

As Bryant represents the end of Syracuse's 2015 recruiting, we now turn our attention to the 2016 class. Of the crop of current high school juniors, Tyus Battle tops Syracuse's list.

The 6'6" guard out of Edison, N.J., is ranked 15th in the ESPN 60 and is rated as a 5-star recruit by both ESPN and 247.

Jim Boeheim recently reached out to Battle, which shows the school's high interest in him. According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com, Boeheim called Battle's father after Syracuse imposed its postseason ban to say it wouldn't affect future recruits and that Battle is Boeheim's top recruit.

It's easy to see why Boeheim is so interested in Battle. The kid has the size and length to play three positions for Syracuse, similar to what Michael Gbinije does now. Battle can handle the ball and create shots for himself and others, and he has the athleticism to be a force on defense either at the top of the zone or as a forward.

Syracuse will be competing with several top programs (Duke and Kentucky, among others) to secure a commitment from Battle, so getting him won't be easy. But if Boeheim keeps showing Battle he is a top priority, it could help sway his decision toward the Orange.

Udoka Azubuike

If the Orange miss out on Thomas Bryant, they will have to begin to look elsewhere for help inside. The search should begin with Udoka Azubuike.

Azubuike, a 6'10" center from Jacksonville, Florida, is a 5-star recruit, according to ESPN and 247, and is ranked No. 10 in the ESPN 60. And he may be even more powerful than Bryant inside.

Azubuike is a brute under the basket. If he catches the ball with two feet in the paint, it's going to be a bucket and/or a foul just about every time. He also is athletic enough to protect the rim on defense and finish with a running start to the basket.

As you might expect, Azubuike's game-wrecking ability leads to him seeing a lot of double- and triple-teams. When that happens, Azubuike is patient and aware enough to pass the ball back out to find open shooters or repost when the second defender leaves him.

The Orange are going to need more depth at center going forward. Whether they land Bryant or not, Azubuike should be someone Boeheim attempts to put in an Orange uniform.

V.J. King

You can never have enough long, athletic wing players when you play a 2-3 zone. Jim Boeheim knows that, and that's why he's going after V.J. King, having already extended him an offer, according to 247Sports.

King is a 6'7" forward out of Fairfax, Virginia, who plays at Paul VI High School. Does that school sound familiar? It should, because it's the same school 2015 Syracuse commit Franklin Howard attends. Having one of King's high school teammates should be an advantage for Boeheim in his pursuit of King.

King is the 19th player in the ESPN 60 and is a 5-star recruit, according to both the Worldwide Leader and 247. Syracuse is competing with the usual suspects to land King, as he has offers from Kentucky, Ohio State, Louisville and Arizona, among others.

With his long arms and spry jumping ability, King is a perfect fit on the back line of Boeheim's defense. He is agile enough to defend the three-point line and the paint, and he can be effective on the offensive glass, where the Orange always need more help.

There is still a long way to go before the 2016 recruiting really heats up. But having Howard should help Boeheim in his quest to woo King, who seems to be a perfect fit for Syracuse's system.

Thon Maker

Lastly, we get to a player who will quickly end up at the top of every school's wish list. Originally part of the class of 2016, Thon Maker recently announced his plan to reclassify to 2015, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.

Borzello's report went on to say Maker has yet to decide if he will go to college or instead spend a year overseas before entering the NBA draft. But if Maker does decide to spend a year on campus, the Orange would be wise to recruit him if they can't land Thomas Bryant.

It's hard to watch the above highlight tape and not picture scouts with their jaws on the floor. Maker is a special player. 

The South Sudanese 7-footer, who plays at Orangeville Prep in Ontario, Canada, is a guard in a center's body. He can dribble in transition, pull up for jumpers and even step out beyond the arc. Maker is surprisingly nimble for a big man, which allows him to jump out of the gym for dunks on offense and blocks on defense.

Simply put, Maker will be a top-five pick whenever he ends up in the NBA draft. If he goes to college, whichever team gets him will immediately be a contender. It's unlikely he finds himself in upstate New York, but it's fun to imagine Maker in the middle of the 2-3 zone.