Prep Guard Selects Huskies
Says Coaches Stuck With Him Through Injury
If there is a good part to being injured, for a prep school basketball player, it could be the chance to see which schools are most seriously interested.
James Bouknight, a recruit who committed to UConn on Tuesday, saw his season end in January with a knee injury, a torn meniscus, and he had to watch his MacDuffie School team from the bench.
“When I was hurt, a lot of schools stopped calling me,” Bouknight said, “and maybe gave up on me. But not UConn. They just stuck with me, called me every day. They even came to visit me while I was on crutches. I was just sitting around the bench. They just really showed love.”
After completing his official visit at UConn this weekend, Bouknight and his family huddled and announced their decision Tuesday. A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Brooklyn, Bouknight is the first Class of 2019 prospect to commit to Dan Hurley's Huskies.
“During my visit, I was just super comfortable,” Bouknight said. “I felt like I was on the team while I was on the visit.”
Bouknight, who played two years at LaSalle Academy in Manhattan, moved to MacDuffie last season and averaged 19.3 points and five rebounds before
he injured his knee. Kimani Young was an assistant at Minnesota when he began recruiting Bouknight, and Hurley was in on him while he was still the head coach at Rhode Island. When both came to UConn in late March, it was a natural for UConn to stay after him. By the summer, Bouknight was healthy and turning in strong performances on the summer circuit with the PSA Cardinals.
“Every time I talk to coach Hurley, he’d say, ‘Come and be the next great UConn guard from New York,’” Bouknight said. “So I definitely felt that New York-Connecticut vibe. … Coach Hurley’s track record of developing players, getting them ready for the next level, that’s what I was looking for in a school. I love the way he coaches, his energy, his enthusiasm. He just handles himself really well.”
Bouknight first visited UConn in June, and last week the staff seemed determined to make him their first get. All four coaches went to Granby, Mass., to watch him on Sept. 9. On his official visit this weekend, Bouknight spent a lot of time with Jalen Adams and attended the football game, where the team had its autograph session. He made official visits to Miami and Virginia Tech the previous two weekends.
“I know it extends beyond the basketball court for James,” MacDuffie coach Jacque Rivera said last week. “He wants to be in a family environment where people care, and it’s not just about basketball.”
Before he gets to UConn, Bouknight has a season to improve at MacDuffie.
“I really want to work on being a more versatile guard,” Bouknight said, “someone who can guard a small point guard, to a bigger three-guard. Work on my handling, my defense. I want to be the best teammate. That’s what I really want to work on, being more of a leader, more of a talker, the little things. Coach Rivera here at MacDuffie talks a lot about that, being someone people want to play with, not someone people talk about behind your back.”
More Recruiting
UConn coaches are expecting an official visit from point guard Jalen Gaffney next weekend and were heading Tuesday to Putnam Science Academy to meet with big man Akok Akok, who has been a target for a long time. Akok is expected to cut down his list this week, with UConn remaining in the hunt.
Another guard, Isaiah Wong, made an official visit Sept. 8 but has not yet committed. The Huskies will have at least five scholarships to offer after this season and would like to get at least three commitments this fall. Bouknight, considered a four-star, top 100 prospect (No. 87 in ESPN rankings), is a solid start for Hurley’s first full recruiting cycle.