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Men's Basketball recruiting

3-star Class of 2019 recruit John Bol Ajak commits to Syracuse

Daily Orange File Photo

Jim Boeheim got a commit out of guard Bryce Goodine earlier in the cycle and now gets a big man to commit.

Syracuse added a second player to its incoming Class of 2019 on Tuesday. John Bol Ajak committed to Syracuse, according to Prep Circuit. Ajak posted an Instagram photo of him in an Orange jersey, announcing his commitment to SU.

The 6-foot-10, 205-pound forward hails from Paoli, Pennsylvania, and attended Church Farm School before transferring to Westtown School for his upcoming senior year.

Ajak is rated as a three-star recruit, according to 247 Sports. He’s ranked No. 371 in the nation, and the No. 61 center. With Paschal Chukwu graduating after the 2018-19 season, the Orange will have minutes to fill at the center position.

He joins guard Brycen Goodine in Syracuse’s confirmed Class of 2019. He said during the summer that he had remained in close contact with Syracuse assistant coach Adrian Autry.

Ajak said back on July 12 that Autry was regularly checking in on him after what he called a “bad spring.” SU head coach Jim Boeheim also made contact with Ajak throughout the summer.



“They’ve been really honest with me,” Ajak said in July. “They told me to continue to be aggressive, finish at the rim and be a good teammate.”

Ajak played AAU basketball for Team Final over the summer, where his play improved. He said then that Syracuse was near the top of his list.

“Syracuse is an awesome school,” Ajak said in July. “I love everything about it, the coaches, the style of play.”

Ajak took an unofficial visit to Syracuse for a game last year, then made an official visit to campus last weekend. Ajak had multiple Division I offers, including major interest from George Washington and St. Joseph’s.





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