UConn’s Hurley praises his backcourt of the future

UConn officially welcomed its backcourt of the future on Thursday after receiving national letters of intent from James Bouknight and Jalen Gaffney.

Coach Dan Hurley commented for the first time on the fall recruiting period signings.

"We feel that in Jalen and James, we've signed a backcourt with a tremendous upside," Hurley said in a released statement. "Beyond their skills on the court, both of them are tremendous student-athletes from great families and basketball backgrounds. We are thrilled to have them join our program."

Both future Huskies, who are top 100 prospects, are expected to be impact players.

A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Brooklyn, N.Y., Bouknight is known as a prolific scorer with ability to score from three-point range as well as attacking the rim. He attends MacDuffie School in Granby, Mass., averaging 19.3 points and 5.0 rebounds last season.

"James is a dynamic wing player," Hurley said. "He loves to play and is a pleasure to watch on the court. We feel that he is one of the best guard prospects in the country and we're excited about what he can add to our program. His athleticism and play-making ability will translate immediately in our system."

An explosive 6-2 combo guard from Columbus, N.J., Gaffney attends the Westtown School in West Chester, Pa. Gaffney is consid-

ered a solid ball-handler and scorer with superior athleticism. His shooting range extends beyond the 3-point arc.

"Jalen is an explosive point guard with great size and athleticism," Hurley said.

"His ability to create for himself and others will allow him to contribute for us right away."

Hurley has followed through on his plan to recruit heavily in the Northeast region. Signing Bouknight and Gaffney represents a strong start to his first recruiting class.

"The signing of these two student-athletes represents a major step in recruiting the Northeast region for us," Hurley said. "In Jalen and James, we have two of the best prospects in the Northeast coming to contribute in our pursuit of championships."

In other news, UConn will participate in the 2019 Charleston Classic, an eight-team tournament next year on Nov. 21, 22 and 24 at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., for the first time. Other teams in the field include Florida, Miami, Missouri State, Penn State, Saint Joseph's, Towson and Xavier. g.keefe@theday.com