Syracuse Basketball Recruiting: Alterique Gilbert To Announce College Decision Saturday

Alterique Gilbert, an elite 2016 point guard, announced he will make his college decision on Saturday, July 4th. Not only is Syracuse a long-shot to land Gilbert, they have all but taken themselves out of the running.

The five schools remaining on his list include: Syracuse, Texas, Illinois, Connecticut and Louisville.

Last week, NunesMagician.com confirmed that Syracuse had backed off the Miller Groove High School product in hopes to land another elite 2016 guard, Tyus Battle. Earlier this week, Battle talked about his official visit to Syracuse, as well as his decision to decommit from Michigan. The Orange remain very much involved for the New Jersey native.

I, and many others, expect Gilbert to commit to Connecticut. The Huskies have been after him the longest and remain the only school that the 5-star guard officially visited. Just last week, Gilbert told Scout.com that he would visit Louisville and Illinois in August. That, obviously, won't happen anymore as his decision has been pushed up a month.

If Syracuse misses out on both Gilbert and Tyus Battle, I expect Kevin Huerter's 2017 offer will be switched to 2016. I wouldn't exactly call that desperation, as Huerter's stock has skyrocketed, but it is thought of as their last resort among offered prospects.

Villanova and Indiana are among the latest programs to offer Huerter, who now holds over 20 D-1 offers.