The first full class of the Dan Hurley tenure kicked off upon the commitment of four-star guard James Bouknight. One of the top guard prospects from the northeast, Bouknight chose UConn following his official visit to the AAC program this weekend.
“The combination of UConn’s winning tradition and putting guys into the NBA, my relationship and with Coach Kimani (Young) and Coach (Dan) Hurley’s track record and pedigree as a coach was all I wanted in my college choice,” he told Rivals.com. “I built a relationship with Coach Kimani when he was at Minnesota. That relationship grew when they both came to UConn. They stayed in touch with me throughout my injury process and that meant a lot to me and my family. We trusted them."
Bouknight is an excellent pick-up for the Huskies as he is not one to back away from the biggest of platforms. He chose UConn over Virginia Tech, Miami and Indiana and should become an immediate cog within the program’s attempted ascent within the AAC.
Injured for the majority of his junior high school season and senior summer, Bouknight bounced back and in a major way, ending the month of July on a high note. He worked his way back onto the floor during the coveted Nike Peach Jam before racking up over a dozen high-major offers during the final two evaluation periods at the PSA Combine and in Las Vegas thanks to a number of prolific shooting performances.
The Rivals150 guard will be leaned upon for his shooting abilities, a portion of his game that has become as valuable as ever in today’s game. He can also slide over onto the ball and playmake in spurts but it is his toughness and three-level scoring skills that should enable for a smooth transition to the college level.
The first member to UConn’s 2019 class, Bouknight is likely just the beginning to what could be a very strong group to enroll next fall. The Huskies remain heavily involved with Precious Achiuwa, Akok Akok, Jalen Gaffney, Al-Amir Dawes, Tre Mitchell and Qudus Wahab as they attempt to patch together a nationally recognized recruiting class.
