Syracuse has put together the highest-ranking recruiting class in program history for 2017-2018. The Orange signed five recruits, two of which are five-stars, SU announced Thursday. The class has been named the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation by Blue Star Report and No. 8 by Dan Olson of espnW HoopGurlz.

Here’s who SU signed.

Amaya Finklea-Guity, center

Finklea-Guity is a 6-foot-4 center from Dorchester, Massachusetts, and is one of two five-star recruits to sign with the Orange. She will likely fill the void left behind by graduating centers Bria and Briana Day, and is the No. 42 ranked player in the 2017 recruiting class by ESPN. She was the fifth ranked center in her class.

“Amaya is your prototypical post player,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “She is very polished in the post, can score over both shoulders, as fast as anyone that I have seen in high school. She has no ceiling, her potential on to what she could be rivals any post player that we have ever had here.”

Finklea-Guity led her prep school to the 2016 New England Preparatory School’s Athletic Council Class A title.

Digna Strautmane, forward

All the way from Rigas, Latvia, Strautmane is a 6-2 forward and the other five-star recruit in the Orange’s class. Strautmane is the No. 23 overall player, and the No. 6 forward in her class, according to ESPN.

“Digna is a stretch-four who can really step out and shoot the ball with range,” Hillsman said. “She can get to the basket. The thing about Digna is that she played in some big games, playing internationally. The adjustment from playing there and coming over to college is going to be seamless for her. She has a chance to come and play major minutes right away.”

Strautmane played for Latvia in the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship, helping her side to a seventh place finish. She averaged 16.4 points, 7 rebounds and 2.3 assists over seven games in the tournament, ranking fifth in total scoring in the event.

Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi, forward

Djaldi-Tabdi, a 6-foot-2 forward from Paris, is a three-star recruit and the No. 20 forward in the Class of 2017. She was given a Scout.com grade of 90.

“(Djaldi-Tabdi is) a very skilled player,” SU head coach Quentin Hillsman said. “She can play multiple positions for us in our frontcourt. She is an athletic and skilled player that can score from all the spots on the floor. When you have a player of her size that can do all the things that she can do, she allows you to play in different ways.”

She played for the French U18 national team at the 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship, where she averaged six points and 7.6 rebounds, and ranked 10th in rebounding.

 

Diarby Kariata, center

The 6-foot-5 center from Voiron, France is set to be the tallest player on the 2017-2018 Orange roster. She is ranked the No. 14 center in the Class of 2017 by ESPN, and comes in as a three-star recruit.

“She is one of those athletic frontcourt players that can really get up and down the floor,” Hillsman said. “She is another one of those versatile frontcourt players that we signed this year that will be able to come in and help us right away.”

She played for Etoile de Voiron in the second highest amateur league in France, and represents the Ivory Coast in international competition.

Nikki Oppenheimer, guard

Oppenheimer is the No. 23 guard in the Class of 2017 according to ESPN, and earned a three-star rating. She hails from Glenview, Illinois and stands at 5-foot-9.

“She is a tremendous shooter, a knockdown shooter that can shoot the ball with really, really deep range,” Hillsman said. “She is a tremendous guard that can put the ball on the floor. She can shoot the ball with tremendous range. She will be an immediate impact player for us in our program.”

She played for the Puerto Rican U18 national team at the 2016 FIBA U18 Americas Championship, and helped her team to fourth place. She averaged 11.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1 assist per game.

 

Published on November 17, 2016 at 6:56 pm

Contact Matt: mjfel100@syr.edu