City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Isabella Sanchez Castaneda (@is_sanchezz)
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MANALAPAN, N.J. -- The Hoop Group Buzzer Beater tournament invaded several Central Jersey-area locations this weekend for the final major Hoop Group tournament of the summer, including the majority of the 17U action taking place at the new seven-court Sportika facility.

Here’s a notebook from Saturday’s 17U (and a little 16U) action, featuring a trio of big men who are each breaking through this summer:

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Nnamene’s trial-by-fire leading to positive results

As soon as he arrived in the United States, Chidozie “Collin” Nnamene was thrust into big-time basketball.

With little prior experience in the sport, the Nigerian native arrived in the States three years ago and started playing for prep powerhouse Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. Among his first teammates were future-NBA players Kelly Oubre, Rashad Vaughn, and recently-drafted Sixer Jonah Bolden.

“They took a chance on me,” Nnamene said. “It was difficult for a first-timer, but I think it’s what shaped me into the player that I am. I’m appreciative of the chance I got.”

After a formative freshman year at the boarding school, Nnamene joined his uncle in Washington D.C., where he’s attended St. Albans’ School each of the last two years.  

“I like being in the city, it’s easier to move around,” he said. “I like easy access to metros and trains. I don’t like being caught up in the suburbs.”

Currently, Nnamene -- playing this summer with Team Takeover Orange -- has offers from Stony Brook, UMass-Lowell, St. Francis (Pa.), and Hartford. The rising senior has yet to visit any schools and hopes to add more to the list soon.

The 6-9, 220-pound forward will be taking time making his decision and “enjoying the process.”

Still fairly new to the world of basketball, he’s been using the summer to work on understanding the game. He certainly enjoyed the opportunity to go up against South Jersey Select and La Salle-bound big man Osun Osunniyi, with the pair each collecting at least six blocks and eight rebounds in the SJ Select win; Nnamene even got the better of Osunniyi on a one-on-one matchup for an and-one as well.

“I thought I would be the only shot blocker on the floor,” Nnamene said, “and he was coming in and he was swatting shots and I was swatting shots, I was like ‘okay this is a little friendly matchup’... playing against him was good, I really liked playing against someone who was that big and that agile. I really enjoyed it; It’s been a while since i played against someone as tall as me.

“As long as there’s a basketball in front of me I feel I’m going to get better,” he added. “Soon enough my name will be heard.” Isabella-Sanchez Castaneda

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Central PA big man sees recruitment jump

Prior to this year, Ryan Smith stayed below the radar.

Before this summer, Smith hadn’t ever played in a major live period AAU event. It was only in his third season with his high school team, Lampeter-Strasburg, that Smith started getting more playing time and the 6-foot-9 forward started to stand out.

“I didn’t really know how good I would be when I started the high school season,” he said, “but I ended up playing pretty well.”

The Pioneers went 15-11 last season, making it to the second round in their district championships and playing in the first round of the 6A state tournament. After that junior season Smith was named First Team All-Lancaster-Lebanon. Division III schools had started taking interest.

Now this summer, Smith is playing with Cats AAU, a team full of the Lancaster-Lebanon league’s top players.

His development seems to be headed in the reverse direction of many big men: already proficient out to the 3-point arc, he’s working on becoming a stronger interior player to take advantage of his size in an area that doesn’t feature many players his height.

“I’ve been really working on my post game and getting a primary move,” he said.

Now D-I and D-II II coaches have been noticing.

So far the rising senior has scholarship offers from D-IIs East Stroudsburg (Pa.) and Assumption (mass.). D-I’s have yet to offer but Smith said he has heard from “UMass Lowell, Lafayette, Dartmouth and a few others.”

“I’m just going to keep working,” he said. “I’m not sure how far I can get, but I’ll keep working and hopefully everything works out.” -- Isabella Sanchez-Castaneda

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First offer catches Bundschuh by surprise

A rising senior at Gill St. Bernard (N.J.), Brad Bundschuh had taken a trio of unofficial visits to Division I campuses in the spring: Lehigh, Marist and Cornell.

None of those visits ended with an offer, but each of the three told the 6-9, 220-pound forward they’d track him over the summer. With a strong summer, Bundschuh hoped, he’d convince at least one of them to offer.

His SBA Elite squad has had a strong summer, winning the Summer Jam Fest as Bundschuh put up several double-doubles along the way. And therein came the first offer -- though somewhat out of left field, from Eastern Kentucky on Monday. A connection with GSB and SBA head coach Mergin Sina made it happen.

“They saw that we won, they know our coach, what he does, what kind of players he produces, and that’s when they reached out to him and extended an offer,” Bundschuh said. “(Sina) called my mom, because it was early in the morning, so it was the first thing I heard when I woke up that day...I was excited to get back to basketball as soon as I heard that.”

Bundschuh was back to the grind on Saturday after spending the week at Academic Elite 2, helping SBA Elite into Sunday’s quarterfinals with a 71-61 win over TNBA West Flash.

A solid-bodied post, he was nimble on his feet, crashing the glass and creating second-chance opportunities, with several follow-ups of his own. He ran the floor well and established position ahead of his guards getting down the floor, and had no problem moving block-to-block over the course of a long possession.

“Definitely trying to become more leaning away from that center spot and becoming more of a forward, face-up, stuff on the perimeter,” he said.

Bundschuh spent his first two years of high school at West Morris-Mendham (N.J.), before transferring to Gill St. Bernard for his junior year. It was an easy transition, considering he’d been playing under Sina on the summer circuit since eighth grade.

“It was amazing, definitely the right move,” he said. “Knowing the coach and knowing what he can do for me there, and then academically it was just a perfect fit. I’m glad I made the decision.”

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Quick Hits

-- After beating top-ranked William Allen to reach the PIAA Class 6A state quarterfinals for only the second time in program history, the Hempfield basketball team is coming off one of its most successful seasons. A key element in the Black Knights’ success was rising senior Ryan Moffatt. The 6-5 guard averaged 17.3 points per game last season and is continue to improve while playing for the Cats AAU program this summer. He takes pride in his defensive skills and versatility which will surely enhance his team this year as he plays with fellow seniors David Martin-Robinson, Teagan Hazel, Anthony Austin, and junior Eli Washington. So far, Moffatt has heard from D-IIs Millersville, Merrimack, Stone Hill and D-I Colgate but is still waiting for that first offer.

-- A physical presence in the post at both ends of the court, L.C. Bird (Va.) rising senior Chris Ford has spent all summer trying to make a name for himself. The 6-7, 220-pound forward missed his entire junior season of high school with a broken leg suffered late in the preseason, and so it’s been with the River City Reign on the AAU circuit that he’s had to show off to college coaches what he’s capable of. So far, he said, he has three scholarship offers, from D-I Norfolk State and D-IIs Chowan (N.C.) and Catawba (N.C.); a handful of other low-major Division Is are also checking out. This summer, he’s working on being as versatile as possible, on one end of the floor in particular. “I want to be able to guard all five positions,” he said. “That’s what my school is going to need from me more than anything.”

-- Daniel Sofield says his summer’s been “hectic” as he pushes himself in training while attending multiple July live camps and tournaments. The Jackson Liberty (N.J.) rising junior, who plays with the NJ Shoreshots during the summer, said he is working on his ball handling and consistency when shooting. He’s hoping that by improving his skills he can help his high school team turn around after a tough season. Currently, Sofield has offers from Stony Brook, NJIT and Columbia and said he has been hearing from Ivy and Patriot League schools recently as well.

-- Cape Henlopen (Del.) rising senior Ian Robertson is coming off a breakthrough season, where he played a major role in helping the Vikings into the second round of the DIAA state playoffs, where they came within three points of pulling off the upset of top-seeded Mount Pleasant. His summer has gone equally well with Team Takeover Orange, as his group had a solid showing in the Peach Invitational and went 5-0 at the Summer Takeover event last weekend. A 6-6, 205-pound wing forward, Robertson showed off his shooting range in a narrow loss to South Jersey select, but he’s a solid-bodied player who can pass and move and didn’t mind mixing it up on the glass. So far, Robertson has two Division II offers, from Millersville (Pa.) and West Virginia Wesleyan, while also being pursued by D-IIIs Randolph-Macon and WPI, as well as some interest from “Penn, New Hampshire, St. Francis (Pa.), Delaware, James Madison (and) Lafayette.”

-- Though he’s talking to several colleges, there’s one Division III school in particular that’s got the attention of Pine Bush (N.Y.) forward Mason Memmelaar. And it’s one that’s got bragging rights above all: defending national champion. Babson College (Mass.), fresh off a 31-win season and the first NCAA title in program history, has been keeping a close eye on the 6-6, 185-pound forward, and he’s very interested in what they have to say. “They’ve been to the last couple tournaments I was at,” he said. “I like them, I was talking to them on the phone, they have a really nice campus and I was liking the atmosphere, the school,” he said. “I really like them, like how the program is, I’m really strong into them.” Pine Bush, above an hour north of NYC, is above three-and-a-half hours from both Babson and SUNY-Oswego, another school recruiting Memmelaar, which was another plus as being “kind of local.” A face-up ‘4’ who likes to operate out of the high post, Memmelaar displayed good passing feel and the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, as well as defend multiple positions, while playing for Early Risers in a loss to Jersey Force Elite.