UConn’s first commitment of the Class of 2019 is a player who is both dynamic and coachable, according to his prep coach.
James Bouknight, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts, pledged to the Huskies on Tuesday, two days after completing his official visit to UConn. It was Bouknight’s 18th birthday.
An athletic player who can shoot, Bouknight has been a top priority for Dan Hurley, who was in attendance at the Hoop Group Summer Jam Fest in July when Bouknight poured in 33 points in the PSA Cardinals’ loss to the Philly Pride. That was Bouknight’s first game back since suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee in January, which caused him to miss the rest of the prep season and limited his exposure in the Nike EYBL season and events like the Peach Jam.
Bouknight said he originally thought his injury, suffered during the Hoop Hall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, was just a bruise. But as the pain continued, he saw a doctor, and eventually underwent surgery in February.
He returned just before the Peach Jam in July, where his minutes were restricted and he didn’t play very well. A couple of weeks later at the Hoop Group Summer Fest, he blew up — only five months after surgery.
Rivera added that Bouknight is outstanding both on the basketball court, and off.
Bouknight, who hails from Brooklyn, made an unofficial visit to UConn this summer, as well as UMass, VCU and Temple. He has made official visits to Virginia Tech and Miami.
Bouknight is the first piece in what will be an incredibly important first couple of recruiting classes for Hurley, who took over for Kevin Ollie as head coach in March. The Huskies now have four open scholarships for the 2019-20 season and have several top players on their radar, including Putnam Science Academy’s Akok Akok, combo guard Isaiah Wong (who visited UConn last weekend) and point guard Jalen Gaffney, who is due to visit Storrs next weekend.