Syracuse lands in-state sharp-shooter Elijah Moore
One of the top outside shooters in the junior class came off the board on Saturday, when Bronx (NY) Cardinal Hayes High School guard Elijah Moore announced his commitment to Syracuse. Moore represents the Orange’s first class-of-2024 commit and should act as the foundation of a bounce-back class for Boeheim and company.
Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy explores what Syracuse is getting in the four-star guard and breaks down what it means for the big picture.
WHAT SYRACUSE IS GETTING
Simply put, Moore is one of the most reliable outside shooters in the junior class and cannot be left unchecked on the permitted under any circumstances. That said, he’s evolving into something more intriguing than a specialist. The 6-foot-4 Moore is equipped with long arms and has made a significant impact on the boards on big stages this year. He’s also a little more athletic than he sometimes gets credit for being. Moore is able to play above the rim and is an instinctual playmaker. His length and quickness give him the opportunity to become a solid and versatile defender down the road, even if he isn’t quite there yet. He’s had his flashes of creative facilitation, but there’s a reason he’s most known for his scoring prowess as things stand. Moore’s length and athleticism will serve him well in Jim Boeheim’s zone. Make no mistake, however, the four-star guard was brought in to fill it up from deep, a task he’ll have no problem accomplishing.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE ORANGE
It’s been a while since Syracuse landed a high school commit. The Orange still have not signed a prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and, until today, were also staring down an empty cupboard in 2024. The selective nature is, in part, due to a young roster, but a tad of worry about the team’s performance on the trail had begun to set in. Either way, the hot-shooting Moore is a welcomed slump-buster. Syrcause held off pushes from Oklahoma State, Alabama and Miami to land Moore, who attends New York’s Cardinal Hayes High School. Keeping the in-demand prospect in-state is a notable win for a proud program looking to bounce back and re-establish stability from a 2021-22 season that saw it finish under .500 in ACC play and miss the NCAA Tournament. Landing Moore, to whom a handful of people promised solid NIL deals, suggests Syracuse has a system in place to recruit at a high level in the changing college sports environment.
IN HIS WORDS:
“I’m really, really close with the coaching staff going from coach (Jim) Boeheim to coach Griff (Allen Griffin) and coach Gerry (McNamara) … Coach Boeheim said he really liked my game and would do anything to get me there.” – Moore to Rivals’ Travis Graf this fall