Mike Hopkins taps into fertile recruiting soil with Nahziah Carter commitment

When news broke that longtime Syracuse Orange basketball assistant Mike Hopkins jumped ship to become the next head coach of the Washington Huskies, many wondered whether he would recruit from the same soil that he did during his Syracuse tenure. In short, the answer is yes and he’s off to an auspicious start. Hopkins secured a commitment from Nahziah Carter over the weekend, a shooting guard out of Rochester.

Carter, the nephew of hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, is Hop’s first commitment from the northeast region. This is no small feat and will likely be a harbinger of things to come, viz., Hopkins will be able to harvest from the same soil he once planted seeds in while in Orange.

Last week Hopkins extended an offer to class of 2018 New Hartford native, Frankie Policelli. Just prior on May 22, Hop also extended a scholarship offer to Marcus Zegarowski, the little brother of erstwhile Syracuse point guard and Hopkins recruit, Michael Carter-Williams.

As we know, recruiting is about relationships. This holds true even in recent memory as Syracuse secured a commitment from USF graduate transfer Geno Thorpe in large part because of Adrian Autry’s relationship with Scoochie Smith. Rest assured, Hop has built a stellar reputation on the recruiting trail.

Say it with me, Orange Nation. Go Dawgs!