ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi released his latest top 25 for the current high school basketball season, which is just getting started. Sadiq White Jr. is spending his senior year at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which is ranked first.
The Ascenders are off to a great start in 2024-25. At a recent showcase named the 5 for the Fight National Hoopfest in Pleasant Grove, Utah, IMG defeated two top-10 opponents, the La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, and the AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Arizona.
White received strong praise from national experts and scouts for his 16 points and five rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting from the field in the Ascenders’ victory over La Lumiere.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, at the National High School Hoops Festival in Hyattsville, Md., IMG will face St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly, Va., which is ranked No. 23 by Biancardi this week.
Jordan Smith Jr., a five-star shooting guard from 2026, was an All-American as a sophomore last season.
Smith has a scholarship offer from the Orange faculty and made an unofficial visit to the Hill in late September of this year.
Another Syracuse basketball pledge is on a highly rated squad
Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, New York, ranks second in Biancardi’s newest top 25, with senior standout Kiyan Anthony, a 2025 four-star shooting guard and top-30 national talent.
White, Anthony, four-star guard Luke Fennell, and three-star wing Aaron Womack have officially signed with Syracuse in the 2025 cycle, which is presently ranked in the top ten overall by the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.
Long Island Lutheran began their 2024-25 season at home on Saturday, defeating St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., 74-35. Anthony scored 16 points, according to posts on X.
Long Island Lutheran also has a big event coming up this Saturday, the Sunshine Classic. On December 7, the Crusaders will travel to Montverde, Fla., to face the juggernaut Montverde Academy, which went undefeated and won the national title in high school basketball in 2023-24.
This week, Biancardi ranks Montverde third in the country. In his newest top 25, top national analyst/scout Samad Hines ranks Montverde first, IMG second, and Long Island Lutheran fifth.
All three of these high school basketball superstars are part of the stacked 14-team Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic (“EYBL Scholastic”). According to experts, IMG, Long Island Lutheran, and Montverde are strong contenders to win the EYBL Scholastic regular-season championship and advance to the season-ending Chipotle Nationals next April.
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