skip navigation

Jared Bynum commits to St. Joe's to open the 2018 class

03/22/2017, 10:45pm EDT
By Tyler Sandora

Tyler Sandora (@Tyler_Sandora)
--

Phil Martelli has produced several great point guards while coaching at Saint Joseph’s University.

Langston Galloway, Jameer Nelson, and Delonte West -- all of whom have found success in the NBA -- are just a few of the successful floor generals to wear a Hawk uniform in the last 20 years.

Jared Bynum hopes to add his name to that list of guards, as the Washington D.C. native committed to play for the Hawks Wednesday night, their first commit in the 2018 class.

Bynum stars at point guard for Georgetown Preparatory School, located in North Bethesda, Maryland.

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound guard chose to spend his college days on Hawk Hill over the likes over George Washington, Kansas State, and Lehigh, just to name a few. He was also receiving interest from Butler and Northwestern.

He visited St. Joe’s unofficially in the fall, then came back up I-95 two weeks ago for an official visit. Considering proximity to home, the academics, and the overall vibe he got from the campus and coaching staff, Bynum decided St. Joe’s was the place for him.

“I felt like it was the perfect spot for me and my family,” he said over the phone. “I’m excited for what Coach Martelli and the coaching staff can do for me and what I can do for them. The coaches really focused on how they could help me and what I can do for the program and culture. St. Joe's has a history of great guards and I feel like the coaches can develop me further.”

Bynum originally played baseball and soccer as a kid, but at about sixth grade, he realized basketball was the sport for him. He comes from a family of athletes, both of his parents attended Howard University, where his father played basketball and his mom played volleyball.

Bynum makes up for his lack of height with his quick defense, and his ability to score on all three levels. He’s a do-it-all guard that can score from everywhere, and facilitate for his teammates. 

In one game this past season, Bynum sank seven 3-pointers en route to a 34 point performance. He ended the season averaging 14.3 points per game, and made 42 3’s on the year, while dishing out 4.2 assists per game.

“I’m really good at getting two feet in the lane and making plays,” he said. “I’m good out of the pick and roll, I can shoot it from deep, and I make my teammates better.”

Bynum said he wants to be around the game of basketball as long as he can. After his playing career, he hopes to become a coach one day.

Once arriving on Hawk Hill, Bynum will hope to make an immediate impact for Martelli and the Hawks.

St. Joe’s went through a difficult season this past year, finishing 11-20 overall after losing four rotation players to injury. But the future looks bright, with two talented 6-9 forwards in Taylor Funk and Anthony Longpre arriving this fall.

When Bynum makes his way to St. Joe’s, he is projected to join current sophomore Lamarr Kimble, taking over some of the minutes left over by Shavar Newkirk after he’s projected to graduate following the 2017-18 season. Freshmen Charlie Brown and Nick Robinson also look like they’ll be big parts of the perimeter attack for the Hawks, though they’re not point guards like Kimble or Bynum.

Bynum will return to the Under Armour Circuit this summer with the D.C. Blue Devils, an AAU team that has produced Kevin Durant, as well as projected number one pick in this year’s NBA Draft, Markelle Fultz.

Georgetown Prep was led by Bynum this past season to a record of 20-6, making it all the way to the Interstate Athletics Conference championship game, where they lost to the Bullis School, 62-60.

Bynum still has another year of high school left, but he already is focused on what he might be able to accomplish when he arrives on Hawk Hill. He wants to follow in the footsteps of what Nelson, West and Galloway all did.

“I hope to win an A-10 tournament championship and make a run in the NCAA tournament,” he said.


HS Coverage:

Recruiting News:

Tag(s): Home  Events  Division I  Saint Joseph's  Big 5  Tyler Sandora