Former ‘Cuse 5-star recruits with Kentucky ties back on market

Two former Syracuse basketball five-star recruiting targets, one who played at Kentucky this past season and the second who was committed to the Wildcats in the team’s 2024 class, are back on the market, according to media reports.

Per reports, Kentucky freshman guard DJ Wagner has entered the transfer portal, which opened on March 18 and will run for 45 days. Additionally, Kentucky 2024 commit Boogie Fland, a top-flight point guard, is reopening his recruitment.

Both were offered scholarships by the Orange coaching staff. Kentucky’s long-time coach, John Calipari, has taken over at fellow Southeastern Conference school Arkansas. The Wildcats’ new head coach is former BYU boss Mark Pope.

As I noted on social media, I don’t necessarily think that the ‘Cuse is going to make a run at either Wagner or Fland, but I guess you never know. Both players will be highly sought-after, as Wagner was a five-star, top-10 national prospect in the 2023 class while Fland is a five-star, top-10 overall player in the 2024 cycle.

The 6-foot-3 Fland had a tremendous senior season during the 2023-24 campaign for Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, NY He played in the recently held McDonald’s All-America game.

Per MaxPreps, as a senior, Fland averaged 19.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per contest. Archbishop Stepinac went 26-4 and was No. 11 in the final MaxPreps national top 25.

Earlier this month, MaxPreps named Fland to its 2023-24 All-America second team. Orange coaches offered him a scholarship in January of 2023.

Wagner was also a McDonald’s All-American during his senior year at Camden High School in Camden, NJ In late August of 2021, he played in the Orange’s annual Elite Camp, around which time he secured a scholarship offer from the Syracuse basketball staff.

As a freshman for Kentucky in 2023-24, according to ESPN data, Wagner averaged 25.8 minutes, 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per affair, while connecting on 40.5 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 76.6 percent from the free-throw line.

So far this offseason, at least seven players from the ‘Cuse 2023-24 roster are expected to depart the program. Six guys hit the portal, including sophomore guards/wings Justin Taylor and Quadir Copeland, while sophomore point guard Judah Mintz is headed to the 2024 NBA Draft.

To date, the ‘Cuse staff has picked up commitments from a transfer center and a transfer forward, and one of the team’s two high school signees is a four-star shooting guard.

However, Syracuse basketball is expected to grab at least one or two more guards this offseason as well, whether through the portal or at the high school level.

Since the portal opened up last month, the Orange has reached out to numerous transfers, including some guards. Mount St. Mary’s senior combo guard Dakota Leffew, a four-star transfer prospect, has Syracuse basketball in his top six and visited the Hill this past weekend.