Syracuse basketball 2025 commit Sadiq White Jr., a five-star forward and top-15 national prospect from Charlotte, N.C., is part of the nation’s top-ranked high school program this week, according to ESPN recruiting expert Paul Biancardi.
White is currently spending his senior year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., which Biancardi recently ranked as the No. 1 high school basketball program in his latest top 25 rankings for the 2024-25 season.
IMG Academy is off to an impressive start this season, highlighted by notable victories at the 5 for the Fight National Hoopfest in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
The Ascenders secured wins against two top-10 opponents—La Lumiere School (La Porte, Ind.) and AZ Compass Prep School (Chandler, Ariz.). In a standout performance against La Lumiere, White impressed analysts by scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting.
This Saturday, Dec. 7, IMG will face St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., as part of the National High School Hoops Festival. St. Paul VI is ranked 23rd in Biancardi’s latest top 25 and features Jordan Smith Jr., a five-star 2026 shooting guard who was an All-American last season.
Smith has a scholarship offer from Syracuse and took an unofficial visit to Syracuse’s campus in late September.
Another Syracuse 2025 signee, Kiyan Anthony, is also part of a highly ranked high school program. Anthony, a four-star shooting guard and top-30 national prospect, is part of Long Island Lutheran High School, which Biancardi has ranked No. 2 in his latest rankings.
Long Island Lutheran opened its 2024-25 season with a 74-35 win over St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., on Saturday. Anthony contributed 16 points in the victory.
Long Island Lutheran has an important matchup this Saturday against Montverde Academy at the Sunshine Classic in Montverde, Fla. Montverde, the reigning national champions after going undefeated last season, are currently ranked No. 3 in Biancardi’s latest poll.
Samad Hines places Montverde at No. 1 in his rankings, followed by IMG at No. 2 and Long Island Lutheran at No. 5. All three schools are part of the highly competitive 14-team Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Scholastic (“EYBL Scholastic”), with experts noting that these powerhouse programs are strong contenders for the EYBL Scholastic regular-season title and deep runs at the Chipotle Nationals next spring.
Joining White, Anthony, and other Syracuse commits in the 2025 recruiting class are four-star guard Luke Fennell and three-star wing Aaron Womack. This group is currently ranked as a top-10 recruiting class by 247Sports Composite.
