In a rapidly evolving recruitment, Indiana is in the final five for class of 2019 four-star guard James Bouknight.
The Brooklyn, New York native made the announcement on Friday via Twitter:
Final 5 @TiptonEdits pic.twitter.com/nvtdoJWrWH
— James (@jam3s210) August 10, 2018
The 6-foot-5 recruit had missed the spring travel circuits with a torn meniscus and just recently returned. His absence may have knocked him off the radar a bit, but his recent play has made up for it as recruiting interest soared in July.
Bouknight had a recent 33 point performance during the July live period that created a lot of buzz, and Indiana coaches were there to witness it live. The IU offer followed soon thereafter.
The MacDuffie High School product told Rivals earlier this month that he was excited about the IU offer.
“I am excited to get an offer from any school to be able to play basketball but I was excited about getting that one. They think that I fit their playing style well. We had a kid with PSA, Jake Forrester, I talk to him about them and he says that he likes it there a lot. He is definitely getting stronger there and he says it has been a great experience so far.“
A natural two-guard, Bouknight can score the ball from the perimeter or off the dribble. He has deep range, and a quick release, with some aspects of his game being similar to James Blackmon, Jr. A gifted athlete with a strong off-hand, he is crafty off the bounce and around the rim, making him a true dual threat.
The other schools in the final five are UConn, Virginia Tech, Miami and VCU. According to Adam Zagoria, Bouknight already has official visits set up with Miami and UConn, and he will presumably plan to take officials at all five remaining schools.
Some recruiting analysts have suggested that it is a two horse race between IU and UConn. In a 247Sports story today ($), Bouknight noted his awareness of Indiana’s likely need to fill a void at shooting guard in 2019 under the assumption that Romeo Langford goes to the NBA.
Here is video of his 33-point performance in front of IU coaches.
? James Bouknight highlights from 33 point performance at Summer Jam Fest #HGJamfest@jam3s210 @PSACardinals @MacDuffieHoops pic.twitter.com/XwU6EeDs9q
— Hoop Group (@TheHoopGroup) July 21, 2018
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