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Each of St. Bonaventure’s 2022 offers at the end of AAU season

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Photo courtesy of the Atlantic 10 Conference

By CHUCKIE MAGGIO

St. Bonaventure is hopeful it has found its post-Ironman Five core already, that beyond the promise of the 2021-22 squad there is a new crop of NCAA Tournament appearances starring this year’s newcomers.

With five fifth-year decisions coming next offseason, however, Bona has been no less busy traveling to summer games and offering scholarships to the high school class of 2022. The college basketball universe has descended upon the Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. the last two weekends as coaches scout the top prospects playing in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL).

The Bonnies have extended 11 offers to rising high school or prep school seniors thus far. No one has made a decision yet, as most of the athletes plan on visiting schools in person for the first time before announcing their choice. On-campus visits weren’t allowed last year due to the COVID-19-mandated “dead period.”

SBU’s offers by position:  Eight guards, a forward and two big men. A breakdown of each, sorted by order of their offer:

Noah Best: 6-foot-6 guard from The Bronx, N.Y.

The Bonnies made Best their first 2022 offer last October, before his high school season and notable travel campaign that included a 22-point game against Nebraska Supreme in Under Armour Association play. 

Best, who 24/7 Sports ranks as the fifth-best prospect in the state, told George Mason fan site GiantKiller.com he plans to visit each school that’s offered him and will “most likely” commit in November. Mason, Hofstra, Illinois, Siena and Manhattan are among the interested parties. 

Peter Carey: 6-foot-11 center from Mount Hermon, Mass.

St. Bonaventure alumnus Shandue McNeill and “Refuse to Lose” UMass point guard Dana Dingle are co-directors of the New York Lightning program Carey played for this travel season. Carey was offered by Bona in May and has since garnered offers from Rutgers, Iona and Syracuse while being invited to the NBAPA Top 100 Camp.

“He’s best on the defensive end, using his long wingspan to his advantage to protect the rim at a high level,” City of Basketball Love assessed after watching Carey at Hoop Group AC Jam Fest. “On offense he sets good screens and uses his size to his advantage when trying to carve out space in the post. Carey is still trying to add some sort of midrange jumper to his game, with a turnaround shot being his go-to move in the post at times. He understands the importance of expanding his range and how useful that could be at the next level.”

Brett Rumpel: 6-foot-4 guard from Binghamton, N.Y.

Rumpel, who is playing a postgraduate season at SPIRE Institute and played AAU for City Rocks, visited Bonaventure in June. Jake Lieberman reported last week that Rumpel has since received interest from Florida, South Carolina, Penn, New Mexico, Virginia Tech and UIC.

The Seton Catholic High School alumnus strung together double-digit scoring performances in EYBL Session I. He finished a victory over The Family just two rebounds shy of a double-double, displaying his all-around game in an overtime triumph.

Chase Ross: 6-foot-5 guard from Dallas, Texas

Ross attends Cushing Academy, the same Massachusetts prep school Idris Taqqee played for before landing at Bona. Proof the floater isn’t a lost art, Ross is a polished slasher and finisher who also possesses deep 3-point range.

The Bonnies offered Ross after he scored 20-plus points on back-to-back days in the NEPSAC Showcase last month. A formidable Peach Jam outing only increased the exposure in his recruitment, which now includes Georgia, Marquette, New Mexico, SMU and VCU.

Jamarques Lawrence: 6-foot-4 guard from Plainfield, N.J.

The Roselle Catholic star produced 13.6 points and over a steal a game in his junior season, helping lead the team to a 13-3 record. Lawrence’s offers spiked after he shot over 60 percent from 3-point range for the NY Jayhawks in the Adidas circuit’s Birmingham, Ala. event. Bonaventure, Fordham, UMBC, Virginia Tech and Wichita State all extended offers.

Lawrence scored 986 points over his first three high school seasons. He can easily score at all three levels and has elite ballhandling skills.

Denzel Aberdeen: 6-foot-4 guard from Orlando, Fla. 

Aberdeen starred on the Adidas circuit, coming within three assists of a triple-double in Southeast Elite’s 24-point win over Compton Magic on July 18. The Bonnies, Oklahoma Sooners and Drake Bulldogs all offered a day later.

Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, VCU and Virginia Tech are also among Aberdeen’s 22 Division I offers. His next goal: to repeat as a state titlist with his Dr. Phillips High School teammates.

Darren Buchanan Jr.: 6-foot-7 small forward from Washington, D.C.

Buchanan Jr. has been called the District of Columbia’s best prospect after starring in the East Coast Elite 24 Tournament in Richmond, Va. in March and playing for Team Durant in the EYBL. An adept, versatile defender who can guard multiple positions, his strength pays off at both ends, especially when attacking the rim offensively. An underrated aspect of his game is his tenacious shot-blocking.

Buchanan Jr. said he intends to take advantage of recruiting visits before committing to a school. DMV-area Atlantic 10 programs George Washington and VCU have already offered, as has Fordham.

Keyon Menifield Jr.: 6-foot-2 guard from Flint, Mich.

Menifield Jr. led the entire Peach Jam in scoring Week 1, pouring in 22.6 points on 46.7 percent shooting for The Family and earning an offer from Bona associate head coach Steve Curran. After leading Beecher High School to a state championship with a 37-point performance in the final, Menifield Jr. decided to reclassify to the class of 2022 and prep at The Skill Factory in Woodstock, Ga.

As far as the typical Bonaventure “chip on the shoulder” recruiting story, Menifield had just two Division I offers before deciding to reclassify and felt snubbed from being one of the state’s Mr. Basketball finalists. His averages of 26 points, 9.3 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.7 rebounds over 17 games certainly fueled a case.

Elijah Kennedy: 6-foot-4 guard from Virginia Beach, Va.

SBU offered Kennedy on Saturday after the reigning State Player of the Year compiled an assist-to-turnover ratio above 3.00 for the Boo Williams EYBL squad. The Green Run High School grad will play a postgraduate year at Combine Academy boarding school in Lincolnton, N.C.

Kennedy is a skilled 3-point shooter and athletic dunker with unbridled quickness. He can play either guard position and holds offers from 10 Division I programs including Florida, VCU and Wichita State. He figures to pick up more offers at Combine, which boasts former NBA players K.J. McDaniels and Trevor Booker as alumni.

Ifeanyi Prince Ufochukwu: 6-foot-11 center born in Benin City, Nigeria

Ufochukwu attends Covenant Day School in Charlotte and played for Team Curry in the Under Armour Association. He has only played organized ball in the United States for two years but impressed recruiters and analysts alike with his length, rim protecting ability and developing offensive game.

Ufochukwu’s sister Uche played collegiately for Winthrop and Bradley. Winthrop is one school to offer her little brother, while Boston University, Siena and Temple are among his other offers.

A.J. Smith: 6-foot-5 guard from Charlotte, N.C.

Smith announced his offer on Twitter on Monday. A skilled slasher who also possesses a smooth midrange jumper and can finish through traffic, Smith will be Kennedy’s teammate at Combine Academy and also holds offers from the likes of Rice, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Wichita State.

Midway through the 2020-21 school season, Smith was averaging 12.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range on a team that finished in the Maxpreps Top 25. He proceeded to average 14 points per contest for Team Charlotte in the Under Armour Association.

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