Songondo Still a Secret

To keep a 6-foot-10, 210 forward with multi position skills a secret isn’t easy. Because of a knee injury Bienvenu Songondo didn’t play in the summer, hiding his talent from the majority of the basketball world. But know this: Songondo will be playing for a big time program next year after a year at Laurinburg Prep (NC). A handful of teams have been involved with the Central Republic of Africa native, hoping that the secret isn’t told to too many people.

Songondo, who had minor knee surgery on September 8, said he will be ready for the regular season despite the health issues. Once the big man gets back to 100% he’ll have the luxury of practicing with Oklahoma recruit Longar Longar and former McDonalds All American Jackie Butler, who are also on the Laurinburg roster.

Laurinburg was one of the teams featured at the D-One Round Robin Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina last weekend. Songondo was dressed out in street clothes and was shooting around in the down time on a different court. While it wasn’t the ideal situation to judge his overall skills, Songondo was consistently knocking down 15 foot jumpers.

At 6-foot-10, he can play in the middle but he said he is comfortable with the ball in his hands out on the wing. Songondo said he has only been playing basketball for four years but the years spent playing soccer and handball has helped him with his footwork and athleticism.

The big man played at Catholic Towson last season. Songondo said he averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks a game. Laurinburg head coach Chris Chaney said he’ll utilize Songondo’s versatility. That’s fine with the humble big man.

“I can do anything my coach wants me to do,” Songondo said. “I think I can do a lot of things but I just want to win.”

Schools like Georgetown, LSU, Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas have all been in contact with Songondo and Chaney over the last year. Songondo hasn’t taken any visits yet because he hasn’t taken the SAT, but he will take the test this weekend on the 11th.

Songondo isn’t rushing to a decision and said he could wait until the end of the year. But he did say he thought about getting the recruiting process over before the season gets underway.

Stay tuned to RivalsHoops.com throughout the season for more information on the big man.